The father of a Saudi judoka has threatened to withdraw his daughter from the Olympic Games unless she is allowed to wear her hijab headscarf during competition, a report said Monday. Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani told Saudi newspaper Al-Watan that he would prevent his daughter, Wojdan Shaherkani, from taking part if “the International Judo Federation (IJF) continues to insist she remove her (headscarf).” The Saudi judoka’s participation in Friday’s heavyweight event was still up for discussion, according to the IOC and the IJF, which does not allow headscarves on safety grounds. IOC communications director Mark Adams has insisted that the federation and the Saudi delegation were working to find a mutually agreeable solution.
