Security, police find relief through sports clubs

Organized sports aren't just for full-time athletes anymore


Policemen and other regional security forces are able to let go of stress and job-related issues by participating in sporting events.

Although protecting the lives and property of people is the main job of security forces and policemen in Kurdistan, that doesn't mean they can't do other things. There are many officers, including lieutenants, captains, majors, and even generals who spend their down time in sports clubs. Some directly play and practice a specific game, while others manage crucial sports offices.

Brigadier Abdulkhaliq Tala'at is known as one of the most active policemen in Kurdistan Region who, despite being busy with his major job, pays great attention to the fun part of sports. "I started loving sports in childhood when I played with friends in my neighborhood team," said Tala'at.

In every Erbil neighborhood in the 1980s, there was at least one soccer team. All the teams representing their areas played in organized tournaments.

Realizing that there were a large number of policemen playing and helping sports clubs in the region, Tala'at's dedicated love for sports did not fade; rather, it kept growing as he became the director of Erbil Police Headquarters three years ago.

"I tried via my position and good relationships with high-ranking government officials to create a situation in which policemen and security forces could display their sports skills through competition," explained Tala'at, who thinks police--like ordinary people-can get relief from stressful jobs through sports.
For a vast majority of policemen, or at least those who like sports, Broosk Sports Club is like their second home--the club is run by the Interior Ministry of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Broosk, which is believed to be the oldest sports club in Kurdistan, was founded in 1956 and funded by a police agency at that time. It changed its name to Shurta (Police), but that led to trouble and the club was dissolved. In 1994, the club was formed again and officially accepted into the Iraqi league.

The club is honored to have Major Tariq Abdurrahman--who was chosen as the Best 2009 Sportsperson in Erbil city in a poll arranged by Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union--as the president of the club. Abdurrahman used to be the greatest soccer star on the Erbil club and the police club in Baghdad. He is the only Kurdish member for the newly formed Iraqi football committee now.

"When we mention Broosk, we have to remember that we talk about a soccer school, as most of the players who are playing for the other Kurdistan clubs were trained at Broos," said Tala'at, who is now the deputy president of Broosk.

Most of the administration members and players of the club are either police or employees of the Interior Ministry. Tala'at has had a big role in promoting sports, especially in Erbil city, by working closely with Erbil province's Governor Nawzad Hadi in building more than 60 footsal stadiums in the neighborhoods.

"We are planning to build a big soccer stadium just for policemen to practice soccer. If we had more time after our jobs we would definitely do more," he said.

Anyone visiting Tala'at's home or office notices he either listens to sports scores or watches Spanish soccer league games. He is an excited fan of Real Madrid. And he was invited by the KRG representative in Spain to watch live events at the next Superclassico match between the two major soccer teams Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Captain Karwan Abdulkarim, a police officer, was recently elected as Broosk's secretary after he served the club for several years as club administration member then media manager. Abdulkarim has an athletic background and graduated in sports department at the Erbil Teaching Junior College in 1992 and played for several neighborhood teams in Erbil.

"I was asked by the club president a few years ago to become the administration member as he noticed that I am a policeman and graduated from a sports institute," said Abdulkarim

According to Abdulkarim, police must dedicate time to sports because they need to be nimble on the job. "If they practice these actions in an organized and academic way such as playing soccer, basketball, or other similar sport, they will have fun and benefit."

Consistency gave strength to the Broosk club, and its players' full dedication and love for the team led the club to winning Kurdistan soccer league two consecutive times.

"Footballers' obedience to high sports and police ethics, their indescribable love for their club, and the integrity among them are the main factors resulting in great achievements. Our volleyball team has represented Iraq several time in the Arab championships; our bodybuilders are the Asian champions, and are all policemen," Abdulkarim said.

He attributed the increasing number of police sportspersons at the Broosk club to the fact that policemen are encouraged to join the club and get administration posts through the club's annual election.

"In a democratic process and a fair election, Capt. Khasro, who runs the men's reformation center, and Capt. Saran, who is the emergency police director in Erbil, were elected as two other administration members."

Besides Broosk, there are other clubs for which police participate. Sherzad Hamza, 22, is a policeman and young player for the Brayati (Brotherhood) soccer club in Erbil.

Asked if his playing affects his job negatively, Hamza said, "I think any player who has a plan and schedule can do his job and take part in any sports activities with no problem. I am doing my job sincerely, just as I play." Hamza hopes to see his club in the premier league next year so that he can expose his skills and become more famous.

Young footballers look for offers from big clubs

For some young footballers, playing is "working" and a means of survival.

Young Kurdish players are becoming prized recruits for clubs that can't afford big-ticket names from the outside.

After the Kurdistan Football Federation (KFF) decided that clubs participating in Kurdistan League could allow outside players to compete on their squads, some teams began spending millions of dinars on bargain signings. Some disagreed with this new law, since it favors only a few specific clubs that can afford to buy players outside of Kurdistan.

Local Kurdish youngsters have become targets of many clubs that don't have a sufficient budget to bring in qualified outside players. But the contract cost and the monthly pay that most of the youngsters get are 15 percent of what outside players get.

Ahmed Yaseen, a young goalkeeper, started shooting balls but prefers the ball at his hands instead of just shooting with his feet. Just before finishing high school, he was offered to play with the Khabat Football Club (KFC) as a goalkeeper in Erbil. He stayed there for two years before moving to Ararat FC then to Brayaty FC.

Yaseen does not get much from his club, but is very optimistic that he can draw big clubs' attention by showing his talents and skills. "I agreed with my club administration officials that if the club doesn't get promoted to play in the premier league next year I will leave and go to a better team," said Yaseen. "I started somewhere, and I realized if I want to move on, I have to think of getting myself in better shape. It is my natural right if I want to play for a better team so that I can get better pay."

His contract bid is two million Iraqi dinars (IDs) for two years and 3,500 IDs is his monthly salary. Although goalkeeping is not an easy task, Yaseen, unlike many goalkeepers, likes it very much. "I find more fun in goalkeeping than striking. Goalkeeper is recognized as half of a team due to sensitivity of the position."

Outside stadiums, Yaseen teaches sports at a primary school in a village called Gawilan in Duhok city. Asked if practicing sports is an obstacle to studying, Yaseen noted: "It is up to each individual's way of thinking; if they have a plan, they can definitely study and play at the same time without a problem."

Khalid Omer, another young player, loved playing soccer from the moment he started at age 8 in the school and showed early talent. In recent years, he has age-advanced in club soccer competition and worked on individual skills with his local trainers in Jihan FC in Erbil.

He is a modern player. He can play with his left foot or right foot. He can play anywhere on the front line, in the middle or outside, the way professional footballers play.

"I'll just keep trying to impress and see where it takes me," noted Omer, whose talents and skills attracted several managers' attention from other clubs. Omer landed with Brayaty FC before coming to Peshmarga FC.

The Kurdistan Olympic Committee (KOC) has made a decision recently forcing the clubs not to sign players for more than one year unless there is an agreement on both sides. The decision came after a lot of players were mistreated by their clubs. "Jihan did not let me respond to the offers I received as I was forced to abide by the club's rules. Fortunately, after the KOC's decision, everything changed. I can move to any club that is interested in me," said Omer.

Omer thinks nowadays that playing is regarded as a job in addition to being fun. Some players rely greatly on the monthly pay they get from their club for expenses and needs; sometimes if the pay is good, they share with family members.

Hawre Yousif, 23, is a college graduate footballer who depends on his monthly pay to survive because he has not been offered a job to play outside his club so far. "Playing is working since I am required by my bosses in the club to adhere to their time schedules and follow their instructions, which actually affects my personal life," said Yousif, who gets 250 IDs as a monthly salary.

Yousif's hope is to play for a renowned team next year so that he will get recognized as a well-known player. "I refused many offers from some clubs based in Duhok city because I wanted to find a job in a government agency and play in my hometown--Erbil--at the same time." He added: "It's been really exciting. This doesn't come often, where a coach of a great level phones your house personally to say he's interested in seeing you play soccer. I'd like to stay humble about the whole thing, but am keenly aware that my whole life may get to change if I play for what I like to." He doesn't know what's going to happen, but he wants to be able to follow his dream.

There are some footballers playing for big clubs and getting excellent pay in their early years. Hardi Nooradding, who is only 19 years old, plays for the yellow castle club, Erbil FC. His contract bid is 40 million IDs for a year while his monthly salary exceeds 700.000 IDs.

Asked what the other footballers have to do so as to receive offers from great clubs, Nooraddin suggested that "they should work hard and never give up. In order to achieve their purpose and bring their dream in to realty, they have to pass through difficult situations."

Nooradding believes KOC and KFF should think of finding ways to train local Kurdish youngsters who can replace the outside ones in the near future. "We need to work on persuading sports officials that they have to give more opportunities for the players playing in the 1st-, 2nd-, and even 3rd-grade Kurdistan league by organizing more tournaments for them so as to prove themselves," he concluded.

Sports federations awarded for activities

Football, basketball listed atop most active federations.

Some of the most active sports federations receive accolades for drawing the most "fanatical" crowds and for organizing tournaments and other competitions.

In a ceremony on January 23 in Erbil city, Kurdistan's Olympic Committee (KOC) awarded six sports federations in the region for their active roles in developing sports in Kurdistan in 2009.

The federations include football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, cycling, and track and field.

"The selection of the best federations was not done haphazardly, but it was based on their activities in organizing competitions and their effectiveness on drawing fanatical fans and players to the games," said Muayad Maghdid, KOC vice president.

He added: "The committee watched the activities of approximately 30 sports federations in Kurdistan Region in the matter of organizing leagues and competitions and the results of the clubs, especially at the Iraqi and Asian level."

According to a claimed accurate estimation by KOC, Kurdistan Football Federation (KFF) was first, as they were able to organize annual premier, 1st-grade, 2nd-grade, and 3rd-grade football leagues for the region's clubs. Running tournaments for youths and juniors was also another active step taken by KFA to promote well-trained senior footballers for the future.

Over the last three years, the KFF became the most active federation particularly after forming the Kurdistan national team. "We try, through events such as participating in VIVA World Cup, to prove that we are capable of playing at international levels, and we try to attract international federation's attention to the current sports progression in Kurdistan," said Saffen Kanaby, KFF president.


For nations unable to compete in the FIFA World Cup, they have been given an opportunity to take part in it. The Cup is held every two years and organized by the New Federation Board, an umbrella federation for nations unaffiliated with FIFA.

Kanaby and some other sports officials visited Paris on December 5 and met with 17 stateless regions' representatives to discuss several issues including preparation for the 2010 VIVA World Cup in Malta and the possibility of hosting the 2012 VIVA Cup in Kurdistan. Kanaby is now a VIVA bureau executive member.

In addition to the Kurdistan team, the Erbil football club, which won Iraq league title three consecutive times, and the Newroz footsal club would participate in the Asian championships if Iraq's football federation had not been suspended.

The Kurdistan Basketball Federation (KBA), which was chosen as the second most active federation, has created a suitable situation for basketball players to prove themselves via several indoor halls and arranged matches. Duhok's male basketball club is now at the top of the Iraqi league. Akad's female basketball team has won the Iraqi league title five times so far.

Most sports observers agree with selecting the Volleyball Federation as the third most active federation, as they have gathered a vast number of male and female players for the youth and junior teams with bright future.

In individual sports, the Table Tennis Federation (TTF) won the first most active federation award. Opening hundreds of cultural centers where the table tennis game is highly practiced has encouraged students join the sports clubs. The increase in the number of players has forced the TTF to organize many games for teams.

Selecting the Cycling Federation as the second most active individual game federation did not surprise people, especially when the roads are full of cyclists preparing for races. "This is the first time we as a cycling federation receive an award," stated Kana'an Esmael, Kurdistan Cycling Federation's representative at the ceremony. "We have many good cyclists who always have positive results in Iraqi and outside contributions." Esmael asked the KOC to help Kurdish cyclists to further contribute in Iraqi races.

The Track and Field Federation is the third most active individual game federation in Kurdistan Region, according to the KOC's estimation. Some people believe that Gulistan Mahmud and Bahar Khasro, two female runners who are now record holders in several different events other than running in Iraq, obliged the federation to respond to players' demands to arrange more competitions.

Although the awards were considered a motivating process, they did not please other federations. Almera Ahmed, the Kurdish Iraqi female Taekwondo national team deputy coach, criticized the KOC for not mentioning the Taekwondo Federation as one of the most active. "I do not know on which basis the awards were given. Our athletes are either in the championships or in the strengthening courses all the time," stated Ahmed.

"Last month we came back from Korea after going through an intensive course in Hanzo Taekwondo University that lasted for 45 days. We have eight Kurdish fighters in the Iraqi Taekwondo team. Doesn't the KOC call these things activities?" asked Ahmed.

After all the six so-called federations were given awards, Dr. Alan Qadir, KOC secretary, assured the other federations that the estimation was accurate and far removed from individual and organizational interference. "I ask the other 26 federations not to feel bad or become inactive, because the estimation will be repeated every year," noted Qadir.

Kurdistan football team coach appointed

Kurdistan Football Association (KFF) secretary Salam Hussein announced last week the appointment of a new coach for the Kurdistan national team, which will participate in the VIVA World Cup in Malta in mid July.

«After several suggestions, the KFF coaching staff decided to appoint Abdullah Mahmud as the Kurdistan football team manager for the VIVA World Cup," said Hussein, remarking on Mahmud's great training experience in Kurdistan and Iraq in general.

Mahmud trained several football clubs including Erbil FC and Brusk FC. He is currently the manger of Kirkuk FC, a team that held the top of this season's Kurdistan league.

"We trust Mahmud's capability and plans in summoning the players and achieving good results in the Cup. We will have a meeting with Mahmud on January 30 to discuss player selection and training plans," stated Hussein. Mahmud will have absolute power in making decisions, and KFF will fully support him in his new career, noted Hussein.

The VIVA World Cup, held every two years, is organized by the New Federation Board, an umbrella association for nations unaffiliated with FIFA.

Erbil club demands compensation

Dr. Abdullah Majeed, president of Erbil Club, revealed on January 20 that the club administration--through a lawyer--will complain to the International Olympic Committee after Erbil FC was denied a place in the next AFC Cup following the suspension FIFA imposed upon Iraq's football contribution at the outside contributions.

"The blatantly incorrect decision by the Iraqi government to disband the Iraqi Football Association deprived Erbil FC from taking part in the AFC Cup and damaged the whole sport in general in Iraq," said Dr. Majeed.

It is believed that some Iraqi politicians dislike sports promotions in Kurdistan. Said Dr. Majeed: "We now call on the International Olympic Committee and FIFA as the world governing body for our sport to compensate us for all efforts and money we spent in bargain signings with players and commercials, as well as the stadium renovation."

Dr. Majeed said the club would not have reconstructed the stadium if they had known they were not going to play in the AFC cup. Erbil FC and the Kurdistan Olympic Committee tried several times unsuccessfully to invalidate the Iraqi government's decision.
Most of the athletes and football fans in Iraq in general and Kurdistan Region in particular consider the Iraqi Football League now as no more than a group of friendly matches since the champions cannot participate in international competitions.

Kurdistan Bodybuilding Federation drafts new requirements

The Kurdistan Bodybuilding Federation (KBF) held a one-day conference on January 15 for Kurdish bodybuilders in Erbil, as it looks to form a draft constitution in which bodybuilding rules and athletes' rights are identified.

More than 50 bodybuilders, and bodybuilding trainers and referees, throughout Kurdistan Region attended the conference.

"We have made several significant decisions concerning the annual bodybuilding work plan," said KBF head Burhan Juma'a. "We have identified new requirements that each gym must meet. Whoever wants to open a gym should be an athlete and have a bodybuilding background. The gym should be big enough to hold all necessary tools and equipment."

Since Kurdistan has several bodybuilders who often perform extraordinarily in the Asian and Arab championships by winning gold and silver medals, the KBF decided to work on building relations between Kurdistan and other countries.

"The federation should ask the Kurdistan Olympic Committee to have a better standpoint toward those who participate in the international championships," said Ahmed Majeed, known as Ahmed Rambo. "Those who have no athletic background should not be given an official license for opening and managing gyms from the federation since bodybuilding is a very sensitive sport requiring experts."

Bowling grabs the Region's interest

Throwing strikes, indoors or out, is a new game here for all ages

Bowling grows as a local sport after several bowling alleys sprout up in Erbil and other cities over the past couple of years.

The sport of bowling began to flourish in the Region when several big malls and public parks were built after 2003. Although the sport is not played academically so far in the region and there is no bowling association to form teams and organize tournaments, there are still many avid fans and players in the Region.

Majidi Mall, Erbil's biggest shopping complex, consists of many sections including a bowling alley. After shopping, many people like to bowl. "I really enjoy bowling," said Ahmed Saqar, 18, taking a break after throwing five balls. "I like it because it is both entertainment and sport at the same time." Saqar, a high-school student in Erbil city, goes to the bowling alley four days a week. "I can't quit bowling; I am addicted to it," he said.

What most of the players are worried about is the price of the game--10,000 Iraqi dinars to bowl 20 balls--which is double the price compared to outdoor centers. "It is extremely expensive here; I have some friends in the school who like to come up here, but they can't afford to play."

Rebwar Hamad, 28, is a bowling fan who watches bowlers in Majidi Mall. Asked why he doesn't play since he loves the game, Hamad said: "I do not want to spend the money that took me eight hours to make today and bowl with it. I do not actually know why there is no federation imposing a fixed suitable price on the game so that everybody can practice it."

One reason bowling is an expensive game currently, according to some players, is because winter forced most bowlers to move from the outdoor centers to the indoor ones where anyone can play regardless of age.

"The price is not too high," claimed Abbas Ali, who runs the bowling alley in Majidi Mall. "If it was high we would not have this many people waiting in the queue."

Ali said that youngsters constitute the majority of players in the alley, though there are some in their sixties and seventies who give bowling a shot. It's the best thing for older people, said Ali, and "it's a great way to keep fit and meet people."

Saman Chomany is an outdoor bowler who has been playing in Akwa Park since it opened in 2006, and he is keen to stress that indoor bowling is not as interesting as outdoor bowling, where players enjoy playing more in the open air.

Chomany said bowling as his favorite game, even more so than football--which is believed to have the greatest number of fans. He concluded: "In football, a team is mostly made up of youths, but I have seen 7-year-old and 60-year-old bowlers here."