AS a child, Melika Balali watched from the sidelines as her male relatives grappled in home wrestling matches. She was forbidden from taking part in Iran’s national sport — simply because she was a girl.
Prevented from most activities including singing, dancing, or riding a bicycle, Balali immersed herself in art. “It was the only thing that the government and my family didn’t stop me from doing,” she said. But she longed to take part in her family’s sporting tradition.
