Iranian Kurdish gymnast Karin Kamangr becomes first Kurdish woman to compete at Asian Championship

TEHRAN, Iran — Karin Kamangr, a national artistic gymnast from Iran's Kurdistan province, has become the first female gymnast from the region to qualify for the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship in the junior category, Iran's official Fars news agency reported. Kamangr departed Tehran for China on Friday as part of the Iranian women's national artistic gymnastic team. Kamangr, who is Kurdish, is the first Kurdish woman to join Iran's women's national team and compete at the Asian championship. The delegation marks the first official Iranian women's gymnastics squad to participate in a continental competition since the late 1970s. In the junior division, Kamangr will be Iran's sole representative. In the senior category, Barin Ruhbehshi, Henganme Hedayati and Narges Hoshem will compete. Jalal Tekvay serves as technical director of the Iranian women's artistic gymnastics national team, while Mahboubeh Mohammadkhani will officiate as a judge representing Iran.