KUWAIT CITY, May 10: Muneera al-Shatti has loved playing basketball since she was a child but it wasn’t until Thursday that she had chance to show off her skills at a public arena in Kuwait.

As part of a new initiative launching sports leagues for women, al-Shatti and her team-mates from Salwa Al-Sabah club downed Qadsiya club 63-13 in a game that attracted several hundred men and female fans.

The initiative to launch basketball, table tennis and athletic leagues for the first time in Kuwait illustrates how the landscape for women athletes is improving across the Persian Gulf where hard-liners have long opposed women playing sports.

Several of the players, in deference to the conservative Muslim culture that is common across the Persian Gulf, wore leggings and covered their heads with hijab. Others, however, wore shorts and T-shirts.

“A competition like this should have happened a long time ago,” said al-Shatti, who has played in tournaments overseas and only heard about the league in her home country while playing in neighbouring Bahrain.

“But I am glad it finally took place. We’ve been trying to do this for a long time and they have promised that more sports will be included in future leagues.”

Helped by government support, increased education and erosion of traditional values, football leagues for girls in the Gulf have started up in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia, which long barred girls from playing any sports, recently announced it would allow sports in private schools as long as they abide by the rules of Shariah, or Islamic law.—AP