TEHRAN Women footballers officially started the first ever women's football training course in the Islamic Republic of Iran on August 23, the Women's Sports Newsletter announced in its August-September issue. The training sessions are held in Hejab-2 and Chizar gymnasiums by provincial women's sports department. In an interview with IRNA last May, head of the Physical Education Organization Mostafa Hashemi Taba said that the organization's department for women's sports had started expert works on the issue and that if the experts announced the sport was not harmful for women they can go on playing football.

There are many football fans among Iranian women. (IRNA)