Saudi Arabia, which is plagued by controversy over sports washing (image washing through sports), is expanding the base of women’s soccer. Following the launch of the women’s soccer league in November 2021, this time it produced a female international referee for the first time in history.
Saudi Arabia, which has been restricting women’s participation in sports, is showing a 180 degree change recently. The women’s soccer league started in 2021, and the women’s national soccer team played its first A match in February last year.
Enthusiasm for hosting sporting events is also great. It also entered the bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the 2027 Asian Cup. In addition, while promoting the 2030 FIFA (International Football Federation) World Cup, various activities are being developed, such as transferring Cristiano Ronaldo to his country’s club Al Nasr to use as a public relations ambassador.
The first female international referee was born in Saudi Arabia. FIFA recently appointed referee Anud Al-Asmari as the international referee. “She is delighted to be the first female referee to win an international title in Saudi Arabia’s sports history,” Asmari told AFP. 안전놀이터
However, it seems that it is still a distant story to supervise the men’s game. As he said, until the ‘approval’ of the Saudi Arabia Football Association falls, it will be difficult to blow the whistle in a game where men participate.