US to send badminton team to Iran

[dbackjon]

The Obama administration is sending a women’s badminton team to Iran this week as part of a broad bid to engage the Iranian people through educational and cultural exchanges, the State Department said Monday.

Amid a wide-ranging review of U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic, the trip is the new administration’s first foray into such exchanges that began while President George W. Bush was in the White House. Past exchanges have involved athletes from other sports, artists, academics and professionals.

The 12-member team—eight female players and four coaches and managers representing USA Badminton—will be in Tehran from Tuesday until Feb. 9 to participate in the Iran Fajr International Badminton Tournament, which begins on Friday, the State Department said in a statement.

It said the U.S. squad was invited by the Iranian Badminton Federation and that they hoped to extend an invitation to Iran’s national team to come to the United States in July. This week’s trip is being sponsored by the State Department, which since 2006 has promoted people-to-people exchanges with Iran.

More than 250 Iranians, including artists, athletes, and medical professionals, have participated in exchange programs in the United States, the department said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

[Wedgebuster]

[dbackjon]

Was that from your High School yearbook, wedgie?

[HI54UNI]

Can you play badminton in a burka?