Indian woman grandmaster pulls out from Iran event, here is why

According to reports, Indian woman grandmaster Sowmya Swaminathan decided to pull out her name from the Indian women's team for the upcoming Asian Nation Cup held in Iran. When asked why she replied that she was forced to constantly wear a hijab and felt oppressed.

Sowmya stated that the Iranian rule was in violation with her basic human rights. Talking to The News Minute, she explained, "It is not right to force a person from another country to wear clothing with religious significance. We have to respect people's freedom of choice. What if these players come to India and we force them to leave their footwear outside every venue. We follow it at home, doesn't mean we have to foist it on people."

She stated that she took a long time to come to a decision and said, "These tournaments are important to me and it is an honour to represent my country. So I had to be very sure of my decision." She also addressed the issue on Facebook and apologised for her move.