Sports
Preparations and intensive efforts continue within Iraqi sports circles to finalize the organizational file for hosting the twenty-eighth edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament, following the acquisition of the right to host the anticipated regional event during the meetings of the Gulf Football Federation. Multiple options are currently on the table, involving the capital Baghdad, Basra, and Karbala to host the major football event, building upon the tremendous success achieved in organizing the twenty-fifth edition in Basra, which witnessed massive fan attendance and wide acclaim from various Gulf parties. In this context, the President of the Iraqi Football Association, Younis Mahmoud, was absent from the final match of the previous edition that brought together the national teams of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, despite receiving an official invitation to attend the match. He attributed his apology to being busy holding intensive meetings with high-level authorities in the country to discuss preliminary arrangements and preparations for hosting the Gulf Cup 28. The upcoming period is scheduled to witness a meeting bringing together Younis Mahmoud with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, in the presence of the President of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee Aqeel Muftan, to discuss all details related to hosting the Gulf tournament, amidst the proposal of Baghdad, Basra, and Karbala as primary candidate cities to host the competitions. The identity of the host city will be definitively decided during upcoming meetings after completing the study of all logistical aspects and preparing infrastructure and sports stadiums. Current indicators suggest that the capital Baghdad is the closest to earning the honor of hosting, in light of the Iraqi Federation's desire to give the capital the opportunity to organize the tournament following Basra's previous success. Coordination is ongoing at a rapid pace between the federation, the government, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to determine the stadiums that will host the matches, with the proposed list including three main stadiums in the capital: Al-Madina International Stadium, Al-Zawraa Stadium, and the historic Al-Shaab International Stadium, which receives special attention as there is an intention to rehabilitate and restore it to bring it back into service, especially since it currently does not host Iraqi Stars League matches. Al-Shaab Stadium is considered one of the oldest and most prominent Iraqi sports landmarks since its inauguration in November 1966 with a seating capacity exceeding sixty-five thousand spectators, serving as the main venue for national team matches before the sports ban was imposed. It is hoped that finalizing the selection of the city and stadiums will pave the way for practical work and serious preparations to rehabilitate facilities and necessary infrastructure to ensure the success of the tournament.
