Qatar pulls out of women's basketball over hijab row

INCHEON South Korea (Reuters) - Qatar have pulled out of the women's basketball competition at the Asian Games after they were denied permission to wear the Islamic headscarf, a Qatar official told Reuters on Thursday.

The team had forfeited a match against Mongolia on Wednesday and were due to play Nepal later on Thursday at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon.

"We have decided not to take part in the remainder of the Asian Games women's basketball competition," an assistant with Qatar's National Olympic Committee told Reuters by telephone.

(Reporting by Peter Rutherford; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)