In the middle of a point, India stop to help put hijab back

It was a poignant gesture in a heated gold medal match between India and Iran women, who were covered from head to toe with full length sleeves. When an Iranian raider was in the Indian half, her hijab was displaced. Instinctively, in middle of a point, the Indian players surrounded her, covered her face and placed the hijab back. “We need to respect their religious sentiments. When the hijab fell from her head, we could see her desperation. So it was natural for us to help her,” India captain Tejaswini Bai said.

In contrast to games in which hijabs are banned — like women’s basketball — officials in kabaddi take great care to ensure the faith and customs of the athletes are respected.