The Qatar women's basketball team forfeited their game against Mongolia last Wednesday at the Asian games, as they did not want to take off their hijabs or headscarves.

The officials at the Asian games were requiring the women of Team Qatar to remove their hijabs. However, the players refused, stating that it violated their religious beliefs. They also wanted to send a message to the sport's governing foundations, saying how unfair the ban was.

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Basketball is currently one of the only sports that does not allow the wearing of hijabs. The members of the Iranian lightweight women's quadruple sculls team, for example, were all wearing their hijabs when they won bronze on Wednesday.

The International Football Association Board also overturned a ban, allowing soccer players to wear them npw.

Ahlam Salem M al-Mana of Qatar said that they needed to take this stand. While they were aware of the ban, they still needed to come to the Asian games.

"We have to show everyone that we are ready to play, but the International Association is not ready," al-Mana said.

The rule the Qatar women's team broke was International Basketball Federation Rule 4.4.2, which focuses on what uniforms players can wear.

Earlier this year, FIBA explained the ruling to rising female basketball star, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir.

They explain that the rules apply on a global scale. Therefore, they make no distinctions between various religions, and the rules should be taken from a purely sports-related standpoint.

Article 4.4.2, lists all the types of headgear that cannot be worn during a game. The only exceptions are headbands no wider than five centimeters, which allow for sweat and hair to keep from disturbing the player.

All prohibited headgear, including headscarves, are not authorized for reasons of safety and uniformity on the basketball court.

TagsQatar, Mongolia, International Football Association, hajib, Forfeit