Erbil, Iraq, April 28, 2025: The 3rd Olympic Sports Festival for Gender Equality was held at the Salah Al-Din University in Erbil Governorate under the auspices of the National Olympic Committee of Iraq on Sunday, April 27.
The festival featured Iraqi female athletes showcasing their skills in a number of sports including equestrian, fencing, volleyball, gymnastics, taekwondo, handball, swimming, weightlifting and boxing.
Second deputy president of the Iraq NOC Bakhtiar Tiem, representing NOC President Dr. Aqeel Muften, welcomed all athletes and officials to the festival.
Bakhtiar Tiem gave special thanks to Dr. Leila Mohamed Amin, Chair of the NOC’s Equality Committee and a member of the Executive Committee, for her active role in the success of this event.
In her turn, Dr. Leila Amin expressed her gratitude to all participants and supporters, and thanked NOC President Dr. Muften for his continuous support for female athletes in the country.
She affirmed that the festival represented an essential step in closing the gender gap and empowering women to access international sporting competitions, in the process aligning with the Iraq NOC’s vision of achieving fair and inclusive sport.
Also attending the festival were a number of prominent government and leading figures in national sports federations.
