2009 "Sports Poll" Results Released

According to the latest poll, football and its players rule in Erbil province.

Poll naming "best" sports figures supported by some, but not all, of Erbil's sports enthusiasts.

Winners of 2009's best sports clubs, athletes and sports journalists in Erbil province were recently selected in a poll. The results of the poll-which was organized by Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union-were announced December 28 in a ceremony in where winners received awards.

Voters in the poll included 1,200 athletes and other sports figures. The voters were employees in the Department of Sports and Cultural Centers in the Ministry of Culture and Youths, professors and students of the Sport Education College and Institute at Salahaddin University, coaches and captains of Kurdistan sports clubs, and other sportspersons in Erbil province.

"I personally feel very happy for being selected as the best sports analyst among many other able people in Erbil," said Mamayara Ahmed, whose analytical reports are mostly published in "Hawler," a daily newspaper, and "Barzan" sports weekly magazine, both of which are known to have the greatest number of readers in Kurdistan.

In spite of a few small problems, according to Ahmed, the poll was fairer compared to other ones took place in the previous years in the area. "Because football is the most popular game in Kurdistan, the voters--regardless of other games--focused mostly on those who were either footballers or had something to do with football," noted Ahmed.

Ahmed thinks that polling is not academically recognized, but it is at least a good start for better ones that may happen in the future.

Sport programs on Kurdistan television have successfully attracted large audiences on a regular basis, especially on weekends when famous European football leagues are on show. The creation of a dedicated audience and systematic viewing patterns has enabled the media to maintain its role as a familiar aspect of "everyday life."

Today in Kurdistan, Aso, a local sports television channel, which launched on October 10, 2005, continues to draw a large number of sports fanatics by regularly broadcasting an almost identical variety of sports.

Although in the poll Aso was selected as the best channel in transmitting outside sports activities--especially European leagues--the director was not very happy as his channel did not also win the title of best channel for broadcasting local sports activities.

"In Kurdistan there is no 100-percent fair poll for anything. The process was not organized by an independent agency; the organizers rather satisfied some journalists and players who might get mad if their names were not mentioned in the poll," said Sardar Balisany, director of Aso sports TV.

He added: "During 2009 we tried seriously to get our spectators acquainted with the most local sports events in Erbil province without making a difference among the types of the sports."

Balisany also criticized the process for not mentioning athletes other than footballers. "Most of the athletes winning titles in the poll were footballers as if there were no players other than footballers. At least they should have given an award to somebody like Rahman Ahmed, the only Kurdish basketball player on the Iraqi national male team."

In the goalkeeper category, Sarhang Muhsin, Erbil FC goalkeeper, led the poll of Kurdistan's best goalkeeper.

"This achievement is a strong motive for me to give my best in 2010; it also makes my job harder as I have to justify to everybody that I deserve to be selected as the best goalkeeper," said Muhsin, who thinks the title was not given to him haphazardly.

"The voters understand well that keeping a goal of a team like Erbil FC in the Iraqi league is an extremely tougher and harder job than to be a goalkeeper of a modest team in Kurdistan league, since the nature of both leagues are different and the teams play against Erbil FC own stronger forwards," explained Muhsin.

Concerning other athletes and journalists, Muhsin said, "They were all expected to win the titles."

Broosk FC collected two titles as the best team in the city and best school for training local players, while its president, Tariq Abdulrahman, received the best sports personality award.

"Last year we became the best team in providing other Kurdish teams with our players, as we are known to be the school of local footballers," said Jalal Othamn, Broosk FC assistant coach.

Selecting Broosk as the best team came after it was able to win 2009 Kurdistan football league title for the second consecutive time.

According the poll announcement, other results include the following: best club president, Hakim Jamal, who heads Handren club; best coach, Abdullah Mahmud, who trains Kirkuk FC; best player, Dildar Ibrahim, who plays for Erbil FC; best TV channel for broadcasting local sports activities, Zagros satellite channel; best TV channel for broadcasting outside sports activities, Aso sport TV channel; best sports correspondent, Saman Suleman, Kurdistan satellite channel correspondent; best TV channel for having the most spectators while transmitting football league, Qellat TV channel; best sports journalist, Arsalan Abdullah, who writes for "Hawler."