Cape Town - A Panorama family have criticised the selective “keeping to the rules” approach by some at the recent 2023 Commonwealth Judo Championships because their daughter was not allowed to accept her medal on the podium while wearing a headscarf.
Their 16-year-old daughter, Naqeebah Fredericks, won a bronze medal on Saturday.
The championships commenced on August 2 and ended yesterday in Gqeberha.
The family decided their daughter would not remove her headscarf and she received her medal at the side of the podium. No professional photographs were taken of her and she was not included in a team photograph taken on the podium.
Father Luqman Fredericks said his children started participating in judo two years ago, competing in local, provincial and national competitions.
He said his daughter would wear a burqa similar to a sports hijab, until this was no longer allowed and would remove the head covering with her shoes before stepping on to the mat.
She was, however, previously allowed to accept her medals and have photographs taken while wearing a headscarf. The teenager had come second in the SA Open and third place in the Judo Commonwealth Championships.
“There were a lot of people that empathised with us and said it’s stupid because she’s not fighting,” he said.
“Some of the rules they want to stand by and some of the rules they want to soften up on. The people that were handing out the flowers and the medals, they had headgear on and they were in the photos, so is that not a contradiction?
“And its (by) certain people and they’ve been treated and it unsettles them before a match when they get harassed,” he said.
“My daughter wears a headscarf as a practising Muslim. It requires her to wear a headscarf. It’s part of her and isn’t it part of the Constitution to practise your religious rights? How can you have a sport that goes against the Constitution? We understand the part where they speak about safety, but you’re not fighting on the podium. So there’s a complete contradiction there.”
According to the International Judo Federation (IJF) Sport and Organisation rules, athletes must attend the medal ceremony barefoot, without any hat, cap or any similar head covering and wearing their IJF-approved white judogi (white two-piece costume worn during judo contests). In addition to this, “any demonstration with religious, political, personal, or commercial connotation is also prohibited”.
The father said people were permitted to fight in non-approved IJF judogi and questioned why a concession could not be made for headscarves at the medal ceremonies.
Mother Rashida Fredericks said: “I felt that my daughter shouldn’t have to remove her headscarf because she’s constantly in a headscarf. 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 on to Facebook. I’ve exposed my daughter enough locally, I don’t need her to go on a stand internationally showing her hair because her classmates don’t even know what her hair looks like.”
Theresa Mihalik, Judo South Africa executive member director: marketing, said the tournament was an international tournament governed by rules of the IJF and according to their regulations, no headgear, etc was allowed.
“There were no participants allowed on the podium for the official photos with headgear. Ms Simone Callander, sports director for the Commonwealth Judo Association, discussed the matter with the parents, showed them the regulations and they accepted it. They requested she still get her medal but not get on the podium. This was a concession made for the player.”