Mahsa Kamali, a member of the Iranian women’s national futsal team was eliminated from the national team for showing her support for Ukraine by wearing a “Stop War” shirt.
She was earlier summoned to the disciplinary committee for declaring her opposition to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking with the state-run IRNA news agency, Kamali said that when the technical staff did not invite her to play on the team, she was upset and had not expected it to happen. Mahsa said it affected her very badly.
She explained that after she was not invited to two- or three women’s national futsal team camps and had asked why the technical staff placed the reason on “youthfulness.”
Kamali said she will have to wait and see what the women’s national futsal team’s technical staff decide in the future. She hopes to be invited to the camp.
Mahsa Kamali plays futsal for the Messe Rafsanjan Team (Rafsanjan’s Copper).
After scoring the winning goal during a game held at the Sports Complex in Abadan on March 11, she pulled up her team jersey to reveal the anti-war message “Stop War” printed on her t-shirt.
Kamali had reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and wanted it to stop.
This national player’s act was widely reflected on social media and applauded by Persian-speaking users.
Two days after the match, the Rafsanjan Copper Women’s Futsal Club issued a statement on its official website, saying its disciplinary committee had summoned Kamali and that her actions were “purely personal and emotional” and had nothing to do with the general policies of the Rafsanjan Copper Club.
“Rafsanjan Copper Club’s mission and policy are not to go with political movements,” it said.
Rafsanjan Copper Club’s management announced that “according to the rules and regulations of Rafsanjan Copper Club,” this national player will be dismissed and fined.
Mahsa Kamali, 27, born in Zanjan, was on Iran’s women’s national futsal team that reached the 2018 Asian Women’s Futsal Championship. As a player, she has also defended women’s rights.
