The regulations of the 2023 Commonwealth Judo Championships have come under scrutiny by a Muslim Cape Town family after their daughter’s rightful moment of receiving a medal on the podium was denied due to her wearing a headscarf.
Naqeebah Fredericks (16) secured the second position in the SA Open and the third position in the Judo Commonwealth Championships in Gqeberha, but upon reaching the moment of the medal presentation, Fredericks decided to wear her headscarf and was instructed to receive her medal just beside the podium, not on it.
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Unfortunately, the incident also led to a lack of official photographs capturing the occasion; Fredericks was also excluded from the team photo on the podium.
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As reported by IOL, Naqeebah’s father, Luqman, voiced his dissatisfaction. He stated that his daughter is committed to continuing the practice of wearing a burqa, akin to a sports hijab, until regulations are amended to accommodate such attire. He further noted that she would remove the burqa along with her shoes prior to stepping onto the mat for competition.
Luqman said that his daughter had been previously granted permission to receive her medals and pose for photographs wearing her headscarf while standing on the podium.
He further stated: ‘The people who were handing out the flowers and the medals had headgear on and they were in the photos, so is that not a contradiction?’
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Naqaabah’s mother, Rashida, said, ‘She was not fighting, she was approaching the podium and they said take your headscarf off. Obviously, it’s a memorable occasion, they take photos and it goes onto Facebook.’
Theresa Mihalik, the Director of Marketing and a representative executive member of Judo South Africa, clarified that the tournament adhered to international standards set by the International Judo Federation (IJF). She explained that, in accordance with IJF regulations, participants were not permitted to wear headgear during the official podium photos.
As per the regulations outlined by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for Sports and Organisation, competitors are required to be present at the medal ceremony without any footwear or headgear like hats or caps and wearing the IJF-sanctioned white judogi – the traditional white two-piece attire worn during judo matches.
Mihalik stated, ‘There were no participants allowed on the podium for the official photos with headgear.’
Simone Callander, who holds the position of Sports Director at the Commonwealth Judo Association, engaged in a conversation with Naqeebah’s parents. She took the time to explain the regulations to them. Despite the situation, they requested that Naqeebah still be presented with her medal, albeit without ascending the podium.
Callander clarified, ‘This arrangement was a special consideration extended to the player.’
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