By Matt Blake and Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 06:01 EST, 31 July 2012 | UPDATED: 06:11 EST, 31 July 2012 A female Saudi Arabian judoka will be allowed to compete in the Olympics while wearing her hijab, it has emerged. Wodjan Shaherkani's participation in the London 2012 Games had been in doubt after the International Judo Federation said she needed to remove the head scarf for her match. But Saudi Olympic Committee (SOC) spokesman Razan Baker announced yesterday that the IJF had relented its stance after negotiations between officials, clearing the way for Shaherkani to fight on Friday.
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Wodjan Shaherkani will compete in judo after an agreement is reached on with International Judo Federation on the kind of headscarf she can wear
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The 16-year-old +78kg judoka had been told last week by the IFJ that she would not be allowed to compete in Islamic-compliant dress
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Decision comes as debate heats up in Saudi Arabia over whether female athletes should have been included in the country's Olympic team
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Shaherkani and teammate Sarah Attar - the first women to represent the kingdom at any Olympics - were included after pressure from the IOC
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