Women's sport in Iraq

Last updated

Women's sport in Iraq has a long history, with many sports being played. Football (soccer) is among the most popular sport and hobby in Iraq. Many also participate in, but are not limited to, basketball, volleyball, tennis, taekwondo, and weightlifting. It is often seen as taboo when women involve in sports and other recreations as it is seen as inappropriate by the large conservative culture, [1] yet in the Kurdistan region as well as the more urban cities of Iraq, such as Baghdad or Basra, society has become more accepting and supportive over time. [2] [3] [4] Women are encouraged to dress and behave modestly, so the involvement of women in sports and the wearing of sports uniforms have been widely seen as taboo. Even with the growing support of women in sports, societal expectations still lead many women to play in secret or avoid sports altogether, which makes it harder for women to get involved in professional sports. [5] [6] Iraq was, at one point, a hub for athletics in the Middle East, but during Saddam Hussein's reign, involvement in sports declined. [1] Sports in Iraq have faced many challenges over the past years, and only recently have sports committees and athletes, both men and women alike, begun to rebuild teams and strengthen involvement. Even then, the Ministry of Youth and Sports are often responsible for sponsoring sports teams and athletes, but they often lack the financial means to fully support them. [7] The country's unstable history of dictatorship and war, as well as the growing trend of conservatism, have been recognized as reasons for weak, lacking, and in some cases nonactive and even nonexistent women's sports teams. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Contents

History

Sports in Iraq, prior to the Ba'ath regime, which held power from 1968 to 2003, and Saddam Hussein's reign which lasted from 1979, when he took power, to 2003, when he lost power, [12] were active and even home to many strong sports teams in the Middle East. Due to the Ba'ath regime's views, sports activity was not as supported as by past leaders. Under Saddam Hussein's reign, many athletes suffered torture, imprisonment, and murder. This was primarily directed and carried out by Saddam Hussein's oldest son, Uday Hussein. When athletes, teams, and coaches did not perform to Uday Hussein's expectations, they were punished. [13] [14] This led many athletes to flee Iraq. A long string of conflicts left Iraq in an unfit shape to focus on sports. Conflicts like the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1990-1991), the Bombing of Iraq (1998), and the Iraq War (2003-2011) are a few of the many conflicts that shifted focus away from sports.

Notable athletes

Dana Hussain competing in the 2012 Olympics. Dana Hussain 2012.jpg
Dana Hussain competing in the 2012 Olympics.

Dana Hussain

Dana Hussain is an Iraqi sprinter and Olympic athlete. She was the only woman to be sent from Iraq to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She got a 12.36 mark on the 100 meters in the Beijing Games. She won four medals in the 2011 Arab Games. A gold in the 400 meters, as well as a silver in the 100 meters. [15] [11] In the 2012 Summer Olympics, held in London, England, she got an 11.81 mark as well as an 11.91 mark on the 100 meters. Her personal best score for 100 meters was a 11.24 mark, which she accomplished in 2021. [16] She also ran a 22.97 for a 200-meter race, making her the first Iraqi to go under 23 seconds. [17]

Olympic and Paralympic games

Olympic Games [18]
YearNumber of womenAthlete(s) (sport)
2000 Summer Olympics 2 Maysa Hussain Matrood (5,000 metres, Athletics)

Noor Haki (50 metres Freestyle, Swimming)

2004 Summer Olympics 1 Alaa Jassim (100 metres, Athletics)
2008 Summer Olympics 1 Dana Abdul Razak (100 metres, Athletics)
2012 Summer Olympics 3 Rand Al-Mashhadani (Archery)

Dana Abdul Razak (100 metres, Athletics)

Noor Amer (10 metres, Air Pistol)

2020 Summer Olympics 1 Fatimah Abbas (10 metres, Air Pistol)
Rand Al-Mashhadani competing at the 2012 Olympics. Rand Al-Mashhadani.jpeg
Rand Al-Mashhadani competing at the 2012 Olympics.
Fatimah Abbas at 2018 Youth Olympics. 2018-10-12 Shooting at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics - Mixed 10m Air Pistol - Bronze medal match (Martin Rulsch) 14 (cropped).jpg
Fatimah Abbas at 2018 Youth Olympics.
Youth Olympic Games [18]
YearNumber of womenAthlete(s) (sport)
2010 Summer Youth Olympics 1 Ema Hilwiyah (Sabre, Fencing)
2014 Summer Youth Olympics 1 Fatimah Saadi Al-Tameemi (Individual All Around, Artistic Gymnastics)
2018 Summer Youth Olympics 2Fatimah Abbas (10 metres, Air Pistol)

Sports


Football (soccer)

The Iraqi Women's Football League was founded in 2016 and is run by the Iraq Football Association. The Ghaz Al-Shamal club won the first women's title under the new league in 2016. [19] The current winners of the Iraqi Women's Football League are Naft Al-Shamal, who won all 6 of their matches giving them the win in 2021. [20] The Iraq women's team debuted their participation in the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification in 2018. They played against the Jordan, Philippines, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Tajikistan women's teams. They lost all 5 matches, only scoring 4 goals total, while being scored against 22 times. [21] The Iraq women's team withdrew from the qualifier games for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup. [22] The Iraq women's national team is currently unranked in the FIFA Women's World Cup due to being inactive. [23]

Futsal

The Iraqi Women's National Futsal team partook in the West Asian competition for the first time in June 2022. It was held in King Abdullah Sports City Hall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi women's team won the competition, with its final match being four to two, against the Saudi women's team. [24]

Cycling

Iraqi female cyclists won two bronze and one silver medal in a tournament held in Algeria in September 2018. The team won a bronze medal in the relay race, as well as winning a bronze and silver medal in individual events. [7]

Archery

Female members of the Iraqi Bow and Arrow team were among the 5 Iraqi medalists in the Cyprus International Bow and Arrow Championship in 2022. Rand Saad Mahmoud and Fatima Saad Mahmoud both won gold medals.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qusay Hussein</span> Iraqi politician (1966–2003)

Qusay Saddam Hussein al-Nasiri al-Tikriti was an Iraqi politician, military leader, and the second son of Saddam Hussein. He was appointed as his father's heir apparent in 2000. He was also in charge of the Republican Guard, a branch of the Iraqi military. Qusay, his son Mustafa, and his brother Uday were killed in a U.S. raid in Mosul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uday Hussein</span> Iraqi politician and son of Saddam Hussein (1964–2003)

Uday Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi politician and the elder son of Saddam Hussein. He held numerous positions as a sports chairman, military officer and businessman, and was the head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Iraq Football Association, and the Fedayeen Saddam.

Al Iraqiya is a satellite and terrestrial public broadcaster and television network in Iraq that was set up after the fall of Saddam Hussein. It is an Arabic language network that serves upwards of 85% of Iraq's population, and is viewed by a significant percentage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Najaf SC</span> Iraqi football club

Al-Najaf Sports Club is an Iraqi professional football club based in Najaf. They are members of the Iraq Stars League. Al-Najaf has competed in the 2007 AFC Champions League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Iraq</span>

There are a wide variety of sports played and followed in Iraq. Football is the most popular sport and hobby in Iraq. Football is a considerable uniting factor, following years of war and unrest. Basketball, swimming, weightlifting, bodybuilding, taekwondo, boxing, kickboxing, and tennis are also popular sports and hobbies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansour district</span> District in Baghdad

Al-Mansour is one of the nine administrative districts in Baghdad, Iraq. It is in western Baghdad and is bounded on the east by al-Karkh district in central Baghdad, to the north by Kadhimiya, to the west by Baghdad International Airport, and to the south by Baghdad Airport Road, on the other side of which is al-Rashid district.

Laith Hussein Shihaib Al-Tawlid is an Iraqi former football player who wplayed as a midfielder and served as the captain of the Iraqi national team. He was vital to speaking out against Uday Hussein, the chairman of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, who was known for his brutality against the football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Rasheed SC</span> Iraqi football club

Al-Rasheed Sports Club was an Iraqi sports club based in Karkh, Baghdad. Its professional football team played in what is now known as the Iraq Stars League, the top tier of the Iraqi football, from 1984 until 1990. The club's home stadium was Al-Rasheed Stadium.

Al-Ittihad Sport Club, is an Iraqi football team based in Al-Ashar, Basra, that plays in Iraqi Second Division League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syed Sultan Ali Mosque</span>

Syed Sultan Ali Mosque is a historic mosque in Baghdad, Iraq. It is among the cultural heritages of the city, located at the southern part of the historical area of Al-Rusafa. It is named for Sayyid Sultan Ali, a mysterious figure entombed within the mosque whose identity has been disputed amongst historians. The present mosque is a 16th-century construction.

Sabah Mirza Mahmud was an Iraqi military colonel and the first personal companion of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Abdulkhaleq Sabeeh Maeedi is an Iraqi kickboxer. He was the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games champion, the 2019 world champion and the champion of Iraq since 2010. His weight is 51 kg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aya Mansour</span> Iraqi poet, writer, and journalist

Aya Mansoor, is an Iraqi poet, writer, and journalist. She published four books: Fingers' Forest, Alone She Sings, Alice in Baghdad, and Sunny Picture, and a play called Invisible. She also written many articles in different newspapers and magazines such as Al-Jazeera Net, Iraqi Network Magazine, Al-Sabah Iraqi Journalist, and Yalla news website.

The Al-Hilal Golden Award or Golden Crescent Award is an annual ceremony named by that name because it is held annually in the month of Ramadan, and it is considered one of the most important occasions that are held to honor the best Iraqi dramas and programs that are displayed during the month of Ramadan on Iraqi satellite channels. The author of the idea of Golden Crescent Award is the journalist Haider Alnuaimi. The first was in 2019 and was named after the late artist, Rasim Al-Jumaili. The award included ten fields in the best category, which are: best actor, best actress, best young actor, best young actress, best program, best title, best title singer, best director, best screenplay, best work. The events of the ceremony, which was attended by a large group of Iraqi artists, media figures, government figures and businessmen, took place at the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad. As for its second session, it was held in 2020 in the name of the Iraqi artist Bahjat Al-Jubouri, and it was held at the Babel Hotel in Baghdad as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustafa Saadoon</span> Iraqi footballer (1994–2021)

Mustafa Saadoon Hantoosh was an Iraqi professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venus Faiq</span> Iraqi-Dutch writer, poet, and translator

Venus Faiq is an Iraqi-Kurdish and Dutch writer, poet, translator, editor, and journalist. Her works includes poetry, articles, in both Kurdish and Arabic languages, as well as working as a volunteer translator for the refugee organization in the Dutch city of Rijswijk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17th of Ramadan Mosque</span> Notable mosque in Baghdad, Iraq

The 17th of Ramadan Mosque is a mosque in al-Rusafa, Baghdad, in the eastern Karrada district, opposite al-Firdos Square, in front of the Ishtar Hotel. The mosque dates back to the royal era of Iraq and is considered an important historical landmark since it's located in a significant square in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Jumhuriya Street</span> Street in Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Jumhuriya Street is an old street located in the center of Baghdad, Iraq. It is parallel to al-Rasheed Street and it contains many notable landmarks and heritage sites such as al-Khulafa Mosque and the Ghazil Market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haydar-Khana</span> Neighborhood in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq

Haydar-Khana is an old locality and neighborhood located in Baghdad, Iraq. Located at the beginning of al-Rasheed Street and near al-Maidan Square, it's one of the oldest localities in Baghdad which dates back to the Abbasid Caliphate. The locality was also home to many personalities of Iraq such as Iraqi artist Nazem al-Ghazali and former-Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Said.

References

  1. 1 2 Taus-Bolstad, Stacy (2004). Iraq in pictures. Internet Archive. Minneapolis, MN : Lerner Publications. ISBN   978-0-8225-0934-9.
  2. ↑ "الرياضة النسوية في العراق: انحدار كبير | عببر العزاوي". السفير العربي (in Arabic). 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  3. ↑ "وهن يحتفلن بعيدهن.. الرياضيات العراقيات يتطلعن إلى دعم يوازي عطاءهن". مجلة الشبكة العراقية,IMN Magazine (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. ↑ "علي عباس الخفاجي الرياضة النسوية تسير عكس التيار وطموحنا كبير بتحقيق الإنجاز". مجلة الشبكة العراقية,IMN Magazine (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  5. ↑ Sutherland, J.J (2009-05-23). "Some Iraqi Women Play A Secret Game". NPR. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  6. ↑ الحمداني, خديجة. "هكذا تصارع الرياضة النسوية في العراق من أجل البقاء". www.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  7. 1 2 3 "Kurdish women pedal, dunk, spike as Iraq's top athletes". Arab News. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  8. ↑ "Why are there no women in Iraq's football stadiums?". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  9. ↑ "كيف ينظر المجتمع العراقي إلى مشاركة النساء في الألعاب الرياضية؟ | Irfaasawtak". www.irfaasawtak.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  10. ↑ "الرياضة النسوية العراقية في أسوأ فتراتها.. دعوات لفتح الملف الشائك". www.nasnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  11. 1 2 "Brave woman sprinter leads Iraqi Olympics charge". Reuters. 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  12. ↑ "Saddam Hussein | Biography, History, Death, Sons, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  13. ↑ Mackay, Duncan (2003-02-02). "Torture of Iraq's athletes". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  14. ↑ Goldenberg, Suzanne (2003-07-23). "Uday: career of rape, torture and murder". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  15. ↑ "Iraqi athletes try to forget". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  16. ↑ "Danah HUSSEIN | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  17. ↑ "الرياضة النسوية العراقية: مواهب مهملة تصطدم بقيود اجتماعية". almadapaper.net. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  18. 1 2 "Olympedia – Iraq (IRQ)". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  19. ↑ Morgan, Johnny (2017). For the love of football : a companion (Rev. and expanded ed.). Chichester: Summersdale Publishers Ltd. ISBN   978-1-78685-139-0. OCLC   983742397.
  20. ↑ "List of open-yard scorers". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  21. ↑ "2018 Iraq Women Stats, All Competitions". FBref.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  22. ↑ "It's now down to Indonesia-Singapore in Group C". AFF - The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  23. ↑ "FIFA". fifa.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  24. ↑ "Iraq's women futsal team defeats Saudi Arabia to win championship". Iraqi News. 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.