KUALA TERENGGANU: Syariah compliant sportswear will take a new leaf in the pages of sports annals in Terengganu with the just-concluded Sukan Terengganu (Sutera) becoming a showcase of 13 sports with participation from both men and women athletes.
The attention during the event was definitely the women athletes who participated in all the events accept football.
They (the women) took part in events previously dominated by men - at least in Terengganu - including sepak takraw, petanque, volleyball, tennis, badminton, volleyball and cycling.
Sutera was used as a platform to reveal some semblance of the syariah compliant dress code for both men and women athletes, who during the five days event, showed no discomfort wearing tight track bottoms and slightly oversized t-shirts.
While state chairman Youth, Sports and Non-governmental Organisation Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah had said the introduction of syariah compliant sportswear was in line with the state government’s policy of prioritising Islam in its administration, it would only be enforced next year.
He had also said the dress code would be subjected to athletes in Terengganu whether they participated in local competitions or those held outside the state, and there would be no compulsion for non-Muslim athletes to follow the rules, although they would be encouraged to wear syariah compliant sportswear.
It was observed that during Sutera, all athletes had followed the Islamic requirements. The male footballers, especially, have been told to wear syariah compliant attire in all tournaments effectively from next season but the adherence seemed to have started much earlier this season.
State Sports Council (MSNT) director Ibni Amin Busu said the syariah compliant sportswear requirement was ‘silently’ introduced last year and were worn willingly by athletes in tournaments and friendlies within and outside the State.
“We were cautious in our approach but at the recently concluded Sutera we observed that nearly all the athletes, both men and women, complied voluntarily. The attire did not hinder or limit their performance,” he told the NST.
Ibni Amin said the guidelines for syariah compliant dress code for athletes has yet to be finalised and no time limit has been set for its enforcement although the plan was to enforce it next year.
“At Sutera we have 13 events and all have women participants except football. At the Sukma 2020 in Johor, the organiser may introduce more than 30 events and we may enter most as our athletes are already preparing for it.
“Some may see the syariah compliant conditions becoming a setback for our sportsmen and women who wanted to participate in gymnastics, swimming and diving because of the international rules but our non-Muslims athletes can compete.
“We will not force our non-Muslim athletes to be syariah compliant in their attire although we will encourage them to tow the line,” he added.
Asked if MSNT would engage a sportswear designer, Ibni Amin said it would and the designs would be sports-friendly.
“We do not want a tudung (scarf) to limit the performance of our athletes. We want it to be comfortable to its wearer and the design to be specific to the sports. But until the time comes, we will look at every design suitable for each sports.
“We are not trying to show off but because of our responsibility as Muslims. In fact, in Sukma 2010 in Melaka, a women’s sepak takraw team from Penang opened our eyes on syariah compliant possibilities for other sports as well,” he added.
Taking it one step further, Dungun Member of Parliament Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli, said the state exco for sports should raise the matter on syariah compliant dress code for sportsmen with Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
“It is a move in line with Jakim’s article 10.2 on guidelines for sports for Muslims which spelled out that women participation in sports should not go against femininity as well as manners and cu
lture prohibited by Islam.
“There is a lesson to be learnt from the Terengganu government’s initiative. The ethics of sportswear for Muslims is not aimed at abusing the athletes who wanted to participate in sports but responsibility as Muslims,” he added.