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22 April 2009
KRG Minister for Sports and Youth hosts Iraq's first post-war International Sports Conference
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Taha Abdulrahman Ali (Taha Barwary)
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The Kurdistan Ministry of Sports and Youth will welcome an international delegation of sports experts to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on Sunday, for the first International Sports Conference in the region.
Over the two day conference, Minister of Sports and Youth, Taha Barwary, will meet with Olympic athletes, international coaches, sports organizations, charities and educators from all over the world to exchange knowledge and experience.
The KRG Ministry of Sports and Youth hopes to use the conference as a basis for developing an inclusive sports policy to unite and empower people throughout the region.
The conference is open to all in the region who share an interest in progressing sporting infrastructure to make sport accessible to all, including traditionally marginalized groups such as women and the disabled.
Amongst the delegation are Olympic bronze medal winning British Pentathlete Kate Allenby, British Paralympian Sophie Hancock, Faiza Hashemi, Head of Iran's Sports Federation, and representatives from the English Youth Sport Trust, Sports Council Wales, Welsh Football Trust and the English Federation of Disability Sport.
Kurdistan Minister for Sports and Youth, Mr Taha Barwary, has been the driving force behind the KRG's sporting vision of creating 'sport for all' in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Mr Barwary has previously made visits to fellow devolved regions to gain expertise in the creation of a vibrant devolved sporting culture. He hopes that one day the region will enjoy international sporting success and has long term plans to host sporting events and establish sports tourism.
Mr Barwary said:
"I am delighted to welcome this group of experts to the Kurdistan region. We know that sport is a powerful tool that can bring communities together and improve people's quality of life. We hope to learn more about how sport is funded and run, how to involve women, youth and the disabled in sport, and how to help talented athletes excel to become formidable competitors at an international level."
The visit has been welcomed by the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr Wilfried Lemke, who said;
"The issues and goals to be discussed at the conference will serve as an excellent opportunity to find effective ways to help the Iraqi people recover from the extensive conflict they have faced."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For further information, please contact Luther Pendragon:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7618 9100
Beany McLean: +44 (0) 7768 244 799
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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