TEHRAN, July (MNA) -- Following daughter of Prophet Mohammad, Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA), Iranian female athletes are faithful, healthy, and skilled, Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi said in the western city of Hamedan last Monday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 9th Sports Olympiad for Female University Students, Zahedi said that Iranian women play a significant role in different aspects of the society.
Putting stress on the need for promotion of spiritual and physical fitness of female athletes, Zahedi noted that sportswomen of the universities play a leading role in making culture of the society and being a cultural and social role model for all women.
University is a good environment for improving physical education, Zahedi added.
The Minister of Science, Research and Technology with the slogan of equal distribution of facilities among the universities, spares no effort to equip the educational centers with sports facilities, zahedi said.
A number of 166 teams from 54 Iranian universities compete in nine sporting fields of basketball, volleyball, football, handball, chess, karate, table tennis, swimming and track and field.
The competition will run until July 22, 2008.
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