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| | | | Monday 29 April 2009
KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT FORMS GROUND-BREAKING INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN SPORT WITH WALES AND IRAN
Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq
The doors were opened today to a world of new sporting opportunities for young people, women and the disabled in the Kurdistan Region, after the Ministry of Sports and Youth (MOSY) cemented their partnerships with the Sports Council Wales (SCW) and Iran’s Islamic Federation of Women’s Sport (IFWS).
At the end of a two day international sports conference held in Erbil, the Minister of Sports and Youth Taha Barwary signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Huw Jones, Chief Executive of the SCW, and an Agreement with Madame Faiza Hashemi Rafsanjani, President of the IFWS.
Both documents expressed a shared aim to promote sporting activities for all – with particular emphasis on women, the disabled and other traditionally excluded groups – and promised new and exciting opportunities for athletes, coaches, officials and experts.
Welcoming the success of the conference, Taha Barwary said:”Creating sporting opportunities for all is vital to promote health and well-being in the Kurdistan Region, and will help us identify and promote the next generation of Kurdistani sports stars.
“With the support and expertise of our friends in Wales and Iran, we have taken an important step towards developing the potential for Kurdistani athletes and teams to deliver elite performance on the international stage.”
“Both of these ground-breaking documents will create substantial new opportunities for sportsmen and women, as well as coaches, officials and experts, in the Kurdistan Region over the upcoming months and years.
Huw Jones, Chief Executive of the Sports Council Wales, said:
"There is a real opportunity here for the Kurdistan Region to shape its own destiny in delivering both sports for all and elite achievement. The challenges here are clear, but the opportunities are huge and exciting and I look forward to strengthening our growing partnership in sport."
Please see also:Kurdistan President Barzani opens Iraq's first post-war International Sports ConferenceThe media invitation to the conferenceKRG Minister of Sports and Youth hosts Iraq's first post-war International Sports Conference | | | | |
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| Conference comments |
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Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said:
This conference will enable us to learn from the experience of our friends from around the world
Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, Under Secretary General said:
The conference will find effective ways to help the Iraqi people recover from the extensive conflict they have faced
Minister for Sport in the UK Parliament, Gerry Sutcliffe said:
It's great to see that the Kurdistan Regional Government is taking steps towards establishing a culture of sporting excellence and participation by holding this conference in Erbil.
| Notes to Editors |
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There are photos which can be used with permission on the conference website www.mosy-conference.info.
For further information, please contact Luther Pendragon:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7618 9100
Stephanie Blott: +44 (0) 7500 842 434
Helen Davison: +44 (0) 7868 846 071
Email: krg@luther.co.uk
- The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region in federal Iraq. It borders Syria to the west, Iran to the East and Turkey to the north. The Kurdistan Regional Government is at present led by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. The democratically-elected Kurdistan National Assembly holds legislative power in the region.
- Titled ‘Regional sport, international participation – the role of regions in building a legacy of sporting participation and excellence’, the conference in Erbil will examine how to establish enduring frameworks to encourage all levels of sporting activity – from grassroots to international level – in the Kurdistan Region.
- The conference will focus on the following themes:
- Increasing grassroots participation in sport
- Identifying talented athletes and helping them make the transition to elite competition
- Building an inclusive and participatory sporting culture for all, including women and the disabled.
- Models of sports funding and administration
- Sports like football are already popular in Kurdistan. At the club level, the Kurdish club Arbil FC has won the Iraqi Super League two years running and will compete in the Asian Champions League. At the national team level, despite a great willingness to compete internationally the Kurdistan Region team is not yet affiliated with FIFA or the Asian Football Federation.
- More information on the Kurdistan Region and the Ministry of Sports and Youth can be found at www.krg.org and www.mosy-krg.org
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