Politics and sports have had a long historical connection. In Iraq, this connection has always been very strong. This was the case even after the dictatorship of former President Saddam Hussein fell, and a new system emerged that was supposed to isolate the country’s political authority from professional, technical and sports institutions.
Under the former regime, Saddam's son, Uday, chose sports — particularly soccer — to be the foundation upon which he began building his political influence. In the 1980s, he became president of the Soccer Association, despite the fact that he was only in his 20s. He then gradually expanded his influence to become president of the International Olympic Committee, which grew into a colossal enterprise — akin to a state within a state — that performed a multitude of functions and held many responsibilities.
Throughout that era, sports were largely politicized, as they usually are in totalitarian regimes, especially in terms of their connection with nationalist sentiments. Most Iraqis still remember how the official TV station used to broadcast nationalist anthems prior to airing matches played by the Iraqi national team. Among those anthems, there was one that included the line, “To them it is a game, to us it is a fight.” As such, sports were not merely politicized, they were also made into an arena through which the regime could fight its battles and disputes.
The politicized perception of sports does not seem to have changed in Iraq today. On the contrary, sports have been made part of the prevailing internal sectarian and regional conflicts. This is evidenced by the strong political reaction of government officials who have blamed politics and sectarianism for the decision taken lately by the Gulf states’ Soccer Federation to move the Gulf Cup of Nations soccer tournament out of the city of Basra. The Soccer Federation’s statement attributed its decision to the International Football Federation’s (FIFA) refusal to lift the ban on holding international matches in Iraq. This ban came about as a result of the security situation and instability that escalated in the country.
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