Baghdad, Iraq, October 9, 2024: The National Olympic Committee of Iraq held a meeting with national sports federations on Tuesday, October 8, to discuss ways on how to provide a suitable environment for athletes to achieve outstanding results in local and international competitions.
The meeting was chaired by Iraq NOC Secretary General Haitham Abdul Hamid and attended by representatives from 28 sports federations and associations.
Topics discussed were the challenges facing Iraqi sport and how to overcome them, the importance of cooperation between all federations, and on ways to develop young talent and support them.
Spanish sports expert and consultant Ignasi Fabregas, who has been helping the NOC to map out a blueprint for the development of sport, also addressed the gathering and focused on the roles federations had to play.
One of the key observations made by Fabregas was that federations should not rely on one, or even two, people to ensure a ‘business as usual’ approach, instead recommending a broad-based administrative set-up.
The meeting is part of the NOC’s efforts to prepare Olympians capable of competing for medals at future international events.
Iraq was represented by 22 athletes in five sports, including an 18-strong men’s football team, at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The country returned home without winning a medal.
