25 August 2003
U.S. Army Division Funds Iraqi Pre-Season Soccer Tournament
Six teams will compete in Mosul, Erbil from Aug. 28-Sept. 10
The U.S. Army's 101st Air Assault Division donated more than $50,000 to fund a pre-season soccer (football) tournament for six Iraqi professional teams representing provinces throughout Iraq.
According to an August 23 news release from the U.S. Department of Defense, the tournament will be held from August 28 through September 10 in Mosul and Erbil, where the six teams will compete for $7,000 in soccer equipment.
"This is an excellent opportunity for the teams to not only compete but also show the Iraqi people that soccer is alive and well in this country," said Ahmed Al-Sammurai, Chairman of the Interim Iraqi Committee to Administer Sport. "I am delighted that the Coalition Forces are providing the financial support for this tournament."
The DOD news release said the tournament will be an opportunity for the professional players to display their skills to club managers and talent scouts before the new soccer season starts in October.
Following is the text of the DOD news release:
(begin text)
United States Department of Defense
News Release
Coalition Provisional Authority
Baghdad, Iraq
Contact: Thomas J. Basile
Office of Strategic Communications
1-914-822-7597
PRE-SEASON SOCCER TOURNAMENT TO BE PLAYED IN MOSUL, ERBIL
Games Are Being Sponsored in Part by Coalition Forces
Baghdad, Iraq -- August 23, 2003 -- The Iraqi professional soccer season is getting an early boost thanks to Coalition Forces. The Coalition Provisional Authority, in conjunction with the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Interim Iraqi Committee to Administer Sport, are pleased to announce the schedule of a pre-season soccer tournament.
The tournament, which will involve six teams representing provinces from across Iraq, will take place from August 28 through September 10 in the cooler climate and excellent facilities found at Mosul and Erbil. The tournament is an opportunity for players to display their skills to club managers and talent scouts in advance of the new soccer season in October. The teams will compete for $7,000 in soccer equipment.
Below is the tentative schedule for the tournament:
No. Game Date Place
1 Al-Mina'a x Kurdistan Team Mon. 1st of Sep. 03 Erbil
2 Al-Mosul x Al-Najaf Mon. 1st of Sep. 03 Mosul
3 Al-Sina'ah x Al-Mina'a Wed. 3rd of Sep. 03 Erbil
4 Al-Jawiyah x Al-Najaf Wed. 3rd of Sep. 03 Mosul
5 Kurdistan team x Al-Sina'ah Fri. 5th of Sep. 03 Erbil
6 Al-Mosul x Al-Jawiyah Fri. 5th of Sep. 03 Mosul
7 Semi-Final Sun. 7th of Sep. 03 Mosul
8 Semi-Final Mon. 8th of Sep. 03 Mosul
9 Final Wed. 10th of Sep. 03 Mosul
"This is an excellent opportunity for the teams to not only compete but also show the Iraqi people that soccer is alive and well in this country," said Ahmed Al-Sammurai, Chairman of the Interim Iraqi Committee to Administer Sport. "I am delighted that the Coalition Forces are providing the financial support for this tournament."
The 101st Air Assault Division of the U.S. Army has donated more than $50,000 to fund the games, which will be played at the Mosul municipal stadium and in three stadiums in Erbil. "The Iraqi people love soccer and this promises to be an exciting tournament," said Al-Sammari.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=August&x=20030825172744namfuaks0.204826&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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