Iraq: sports activities develop in Baghdad
Audio 02:36
Members of the Iraqi Water Sports Federation place a sailboat on the banks of the Tigris, in the Adhamiya district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, October 15, 2020. AFP - SABAH ARAR
By: Lucile Wassermann Follow
6 min
More and more new sports are emerging in Baghdad.
Far from the image of conflicts and violence that the Iraqi capital reflects, these places of relaxation and leisure are attracting more and more inhabitants, in search of fun and new challenges.
But there are many obstacles in Iraq for these new athletes.
Our correspondent in Baghdad went to meet them.
Publicity
On the banks of the Tigris, about fifteen young Iraqis put on their water sports wetsuits.
They are getting ready for their daily windsurfing lesson.
Jamil, 18, a yellow cap on his head, registered a few months ago in this very first club in the capital.
“
It really is an incredible sport!
Personally, it allows me to spend time with my close friends, my coach.
It also allows me to meet new people, to broaden my horizons, it's great
.
"
It's hard to imagine these scenes in Baghdad a few years ago.
At the end of the 2000s, the surrounding neighborhoods were among the most dangerous in the country.
On his board, Mohammed takes windy lanes and tries out some acrobatics.
This 20-year-old Iraqi lost his father during those bloody years.
Today, he wants to believe in a better future.
“
Before it was civil war, we couldn't do that.
Today it's different, it's less dangerous, we can practice, train.
And honestly, I have totally fallen in love with the sport since I started.
"
"
Sail behind, come over here
!"
»Installed on a small motor boat, Ahmed, the trainer, shouts his instructions.
He plans to take his students to Egypt, for further training.
Impossible to professionalize in Iraq, according to him.
“
With our budget, we cannot afford new equipment.
It costs way too much.
We can be competitive, but we know that we cannot compete at a high level.
"
There is no shortage of events in the world of sport, but they are particularly numerous in Iraq.
Especially for women.
On the other side of town, around fifteen young Iraqi women train in the first, and the only, rugby club in Baghdad.
Despite the remarks and criticisms, explains Halah, the captain.
“
It started from the start when we created the team.
We were training in a sports school, and the first criticisms came from the students themselves.
Even today, many men, but also women, criticize us on social networks.
"
On the sidelines, Fariq Abdallah, the vice-president of the Iraqi Federation, expressed his frustration.
“
Some players would have the potential to be among the best in the region, but they face a lot of problems because their families do not allow them to play the sport.
"
There is still a long way to go in the country.
But for these young Iraqis, these new sports are already great advances and even tools to change mentalities.
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