IRAN'S -STUDENT GIRLS- INFER : OPENNESS HONOURS

TEHRAN : Iran girls kick down barriers with karate. And the coach observes karate's positive influence on children's behaviour.

The two young opponents, clad in crisp white karategi with coloured belts and protective headgear, circled each other on the tatami, the floor covering used for practising Japanese martial arts.

Their movements were sharp and deliberate, each kick and block executed with precision and control to the cheers of an all-female audience.

At the final whistle, three minutes later, the two opponents shook hands and embraced.

The match was part of an annual regional tournament that saw 230 participants of all ages gathered in Tehran, lining up in formation before the competition began.

That AFP was accorded rare access to film and photograph a competition for women and girls was itself a sign of greater official openness.

“This sport is anything but violent” because it “promotes discipline,” said Samaneh Parsa, a 44-year-old mother who has been practicing karate for five years with her daughter Helma and son Ilya.

'' I have observed its positive influence on children's behaviour,'' she said at a club in southern Tehran, where AFP was granted a rare access to the prelude to the match.