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Iranian women report they are being barred from attending a major volleyball tournament featuring the Olympic-bound mens national team, reigniting a debate about whether Iran should be allowed to host international matches.Despite a commitment from volleyballs world governing body that women would be able to attend this weekends World League tournament at the Azadi Sport Complex in Tehran, Iranian women who have pushed to make sporting events more open say they havent been able to purchase tickets despite multiple efforts to buy them online.Female fans are traditionally barred from attending male-only sporting events in Iran -- efforts by authorities to enforce strict interpretations of Islamic norms -- but many women are pushing to change that practice.The International Federation of Volleyball, Switzerland-based FIVB, streamed the Argentina-Italy and Iran-Serbia matches Friday, showing a segregated section of women in the stands. It was unclear if the women were members of the general public or invited guests and VIPs. A female announcer handled substitutions during Irans match.FIVB released a statement noting that the Iranian federation said Fridays matches sold out within five minutes, and that 466 of the 5,000 tickets were allotted for a section set aside for women. The area of seats, shown repeatedly on the livestream, didnt appear that large.From the moment tickets became available, the website for sales said the female allotment had been filled, according to several women who say they tried to purchase tickets.Honestly when I saw their `statement, I said, `If FIVB were Pinocchio, their nose was from Lausanne to Tehran. Why they lie this much? said a 32-year-old Iranian female representative from a group called Open Stadiums. She declined to give her name out of concern for retaliation. The Open Stadiums Twitter account identifies itself as A movement of Iranian Women seeking to end discrimination and let women attend stadiums.Tara Sepehri Far, an Iran researcher with Human Rights Watch, has tracked the controversy.Weve been following the case closely and I am disappointed to say that despite FIVBs claims to have assurances from the Iranian Volleyball Federation, the tickets have not been available to women so far, she said in an email to The Associated Press along with a screen shot of the ticket website.Iran rallied to win Fridays match against Serbia in five sets before a wildly enthusiastic standing-room only capacity crowd of 12,000. The home team faces Italy on Saturday.In 2012, the longtime ban on women from soccer matches in Iran was extended to volleyball. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last year called the ban ridiculous and said that nations that are part of international bodies should respect womens rights.FIVB has pushed Iranian officials to make concessions for women. The sports profile is rising in the country, tied to the national teams success.Eighth-ranked Iran qualified for its first Olympic tournament as one of the 12 teams set to play in Rio de Janeiro this August.It is important to emphasize that this is a first step of a long-term campaign to reinstate female spectators at volleyball events in Iran and one which the FIVB is 100 percent committed to, FIVB said in a statement.Our policy is one of engagement and diplomacy to secure inclusion through sport not through the threat of isolation. While we understand that volleyball alone cant enforce change, we appreciate that we have a significant platform for creating dialogue and the FIVB will continue to strive for sports power as an agent for positive change to be fully realized.For a February beach volleyball event at Irans Kish Island, women werent allowed to watch the tournament with FIVB claiming misunderstandings were at the root of the issue. Women then were later allowed to see play from a cafe overlooking the main court.The issue first drew international attention in June 2014, when British-Iranian student Ghoncheh Ghavami was detained when she tried to attend a mens volleyball match at Azadi. She spent more than 100 days in prison, much of it in solitary confinement.The case prompted FIVB President Ary Graca to urge Iranian officials to release her. He told the volleyball federations at the end of their world congress: We never normally seek to interfere with the laws of any country. But in accordance with the Olympic Charter, the FIVB is committed to inclusivity and the right of women to participate in sport on an equal basis.Also, in November 2014, FIVB said Iran would not be chosen to host a boys under-19 world championship in the wake of Ghavamis imprisonment. She was initially sentenced to a year in prison for spreading propaganda before charges were dropped.USA Volleyball board chair Lori Okimura also has been outspoken on the cause.This blatant gender discrimination of not allowing women access to purchase tickets to watch their teams play in Tehran, to me, significantly diminishes the accomplishments of the national teams in the worlds view, she said Thursday.Continuing to award Iran international volleyball events, when this condition is in effect sends the message, loud and clear, that gender discrimination is accepted by the FIVB and its 221 member federations. It is not.The woman from Iran with Open Stadiums watched on television from home Friday night alongside her mother and sister -- eating sunflower seeds and having dinner, not much different from a U.S. baseball game.We always watch because we really like our team. Im sport fan! she said. Usually I watch many sport matches.---AP Sports Writers Anne M. Peterson and Jimmy Golen and Associated Press Writer Nasser Karimi contributed to this report. Taylor Jones Jersey . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Custom Roy Oswalt Jersey . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. 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MILWAUKEE -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are clinging to playoff hopes and got a great start from rookie Chad Kuhl to keep them in the hunt.Sean Rodriguez hit a home run and a two-run single, Andrew McCutchen went deep, rookie Chad Kuhl pitched six strong innings and the Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 on Wednesday night.The Pirates won their sixth straight at Miller Park, and sixth of seven overall to improve to 76-75. Pittsburgh began the day 4 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second NL wild card spot. The Pirates also have to hurdle the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, too.Kuhl (5-3) pitched two-hit ball through the fourth before the Brewers manufactured a run on Jonathan Villars two-out single in the fifth. Kuhl struck out six and walked one in his second career start against the Brewers.Hes cutting teeth, man, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. Hes going to find his way. There were challenges tonight. He met one in the first inning and he met one in the fifth.In the sixth, Kuhl retired the first two batters before Domingo Santana hit a ground ball with so much top spin that it slithered through the infield. Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage came out to mound before Hernan Perez stepped in. Whatever was said worked as Perez chased the first pitch and flied out.He pitched six innings and only had four three-ball counts, Hurdle said. He had an efficient sixth to get us where we needed to go.The win was much better result than the last time he faced the Brewers.He took a no decision at Miller Park on Aug. 25, throwing six shutout innings before Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a two-run homer with one out in the seventh.You just focus on whats ahead of us and you cant really focus on whats happened or the way that weve been playing, Kuhl said. Just look forward and this teams done a really nice job of that.The Pirates bullpen silenced the Brewers bats the rest of the way. Juan Nicasio (7th) and Felipe Rivero (8th) set the stage for Tony Watson who converted his 15th save in 18 chances when he pitched the ninth.McCutchen helped the Pirates jump out to an early lead for the second consecutive game. He crushed a 2-2 pitch that just slipped by the left-field foul pole for his 24th home run. Tuesday, he hit a two-run double in the first.I thought it was going foul, but it didnt, Nelson said. It was a good fast ball down and away. It ran up and in. I was impressed that he got to it. He did a good job of squaring up on a mistake right there.Rodriguezs two-run single finished the scoring in the first off starter Jimmy Nelson (8-15) and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Rodriguez hhit his 18th home run of the season in the fourth.dddddddddddd He has homered in in four of his last five games.COUNSELL EJECTEDHomeplate umpire Jerry Lane ejected Brewers manager Craig Counsell in the top of the fourth. Adam Frazier had just fouled off a pitch from Nelson that bounced over his foot, out of the box and carried to first baseman Christ Carter who stepped on the bag for the apparent third out. Frazier looked puzzled, but when the Brewers started off the field, Lane signaled foul ball.Counsell came out to argue with Lane.Overall, what upset me was he just missed the call, Counsell said. I felt like he changed his call. More than anything, I felt like he changed his call.Second baseman Scooter Gennett noticed the hesitation in Lanes call.Usually when a guy fouls a ball off his foot, the guy says it right away, Gennett said. He (Lane) kind of waited for the whole play to develop and then called it foul.Counsell finished and walked back toward the dugout, but then turned back for some final thoughts. Lane and Counsell became animated in their discussion before Lane ejected Counsell. First base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ushered Counsell to the dugout. Bench coach Pat Murphy took over for Counsell.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: LF Starling Marte missed his 16th consecutive game with low back discomfort, but pinch hit in the eighth and took a called third strike. He went through another full workout and the club anticipates his return to the field in the near future.Brewers: LF Ryan Braun missed his second consecutive game to be with his wife, Larisa, and their new son, Greyson Joseph. Manager Craig Counsell said that it was possible Braun may be back Thursday for the last of the three-game series with the Pirates. . RHP Taylor Jungmann (0-4, 8.34 ERA) makes his first start since April 28 against the Chicago Cubs when he faces Cincinnati on Saturday. He made the Opening Day roster, but then struggled mightily in his first five starts that he was demoted. Jungmann hasnt allowed a run in 10 appearances since being recalled from Double-A Biloxi on Sept. 6.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-5, 4.87 ERA) makes his 10th start since being reinstated from the disabled list (facial fractures) on Aug. 4. He is unbeaten in his last four starts against the Brewers, including a 5-3 decision this Aug. 26 at Miller Park.Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.47) makes his fifth start against the Pirates this season. He is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in the four previous outings. ' ' '