Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani is one of only two Saudi women to travel to London as Saudi Arabia‘s National Olympic Committee’s decision to send two women athletes to the London Olympic Games is a breakthrough for Saudi women’s sports.

But she had said she would only compete if she was allowed to wear the hijab, and judo officials refused, saying it would be dangerous and that according to IJF’s regulations for the Olympic Games state that no headgear can be worn.

This year is the first time every nation competing in the Olympics is sending women as well as men. Saudi Arabia was the last country to announce that it would send female athletes.

Saudi Arabia compained to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the head of the International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer confirmed Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani,  would not be allowed to wear a hijab on Thursday.

Wojdan Shaherkani, is due to fight in the heavyweight judo competition on Friday.

The participation of two Saudi female athletes in the London Olympics is an important first step but does not go far enough in addressing entrenched problems of gender discrimination in the kingdom, Human Rights Watch said.

“The world should cheer Wojdan Shahrkhani and Sarah Attar as they make history in London, but we must also remember millions of women and girls inside Saudi Arabia who can only watch from the sidelines,” Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “The IOC can move the ball down the field for women’s sports by making it clear for future Olympics that if you don’t play by the rules, you should not play at all.”