Iraq hosts West Asian Athletics Championship competitions in Basra

INA-  Baghdad

The fifth West Asian Athletics Championship for men and women gets underway at Sports City in Basra today, Wednesday. In addition to the host country, Iraq, thirteen other countries—Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and Iran—will compete in 48 competitions over the course of the competition's four days.

According to information provided to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), "the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Iraqi Federation of Power Games completed all the necessary preparations and details for the championship's start, and the technical conference was held yesterday in the Great Hall of the Trunk of the Palm stadium, where it was decided upon the contexts and the scheduling of events for the participating athletes."

Iraq hopes to organize a unique tournament that stands apart from previous West Asian Championships. It is reported that the opening will feature a simplified ceremony in which the participating teams will be welcomed, along with artistic events that center around the theme of Iraqi heritage and visual arts in particular.

Notably, the Federation is facing a great challenge after the long interruption of Iraq from hosting athletics championships, which lasted for 45 years, so it aspire to support more and provide all the conditions and climates for the success of this upcoming event," and it is expected that the Championship will witness a high technical level as the championship qualifies for the next Olympic Games in Paris and therefore all the teams will compete vigorously in pursuit of qualifying numbers.