Iraq
Iraq's 2024 Paralympic athletes meeting with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on September 15, 2024. Photo: Office of PM
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani congratulated the country’s champions on Sunday from the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, who are set to receive rewards for their achievements.
Sudani “praised the dedicated efforts of the Paralympic Committee, the coaching staff, and the supportive families of the athletes,” read a statement from the PM’s office.
The athletes will receive monthly stipends and plots of land, in accordance with Iraqi law, which grants financial rewards and residential plots to athletes who place first to sixth in world championships, the Olympics, or Paralympics.
Sudani hailed the historic victory of Najlah Imad, a 19-year-old table tennis player, who became Iraq’s first-ever Paralympic gold medalist in the sport. Imad won the women’s class six event after defeating Ukraine’s Maryna Lytovchenko 3-1 in the final.
“This is not merely about a gold medal, but represents a narrative of sacrifice, bravery, and the resilience of Iraqi women,” the prime minister's office said, noting that Imad lost multiple limbs in a 2008 terrorist attack.
Imad was three years old when a bomb exploded in her father’s car in Diyala, northeast Iraq, causing her to lose most of her right leg, her left leg at the knee, and her right arm below the elbow.
The prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to sports.
The Iraqi Paralympic team won one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the 2024 games. A total of 20 athletes represented Iraq in 10 different sports, with bronze medals in athletics and powerlifting.
Sudani “praised the dedicated efforts of the Paralympic Committee, the coaching staff, and the supportive families of the athletes,” read a statement from the PM’s office.
The athletes will receive monthly stipends and plots of land, in accordance with Iraqi law, which grants financial rewards and residential plots to athletes who place first to sixth in world championships, the Olympics, or Paralympics.
Sudani hailed the historic victory of Najlah Imad, a 19-year-old table tennis player, who became Iraq’s first-ever Paralympic gold medalist in the sport. Imad won the women’s class six event after defeating Ukraine’s Maryna Lytovchenko 3-1 in the final.
“This is not merely about a gold medal, but represents a narrative of sacrifice, bravery, and the resilience of Iraqi women,” the prime minister's office said, noting that Imad lost multiple limbs in a 2008 terrorist attack.
Imad was three years old when a bomb exploded in her father’s car in Diyala, northeast Iraq, causing her to lose most of her right leg, her left leg at the knee, and her right arm below the elbow.
The prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to sports.
The Iraqi Paralympic team won one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the 2024 games. A total of 20 athletes represented Iraq in 10 different sports, with bronze medals in athletics and powerlifting.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment