Basrah Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Sports City Complex

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Sgt. Rodney Foliente, USA

[SandRat]

Young Iraqi boxers give a demonstration for their peers during the Basrah Sports City Complex groundbreaking ceremony, July 20. Sports City will be a training facility for Olympians and world-class competitors, giving these children hopes and dreams of one day representing their country on the international sports stage. Photo by Sgt. Rodney Foliente, 4th Infantry Division.

BASRAH — The provincial government here hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Basrah Sports City Complex, July 20. The project is slated to be completed in 2013, just in time for the city to host the 21st Gulf Cup Soccer Tournament.

"I am proud that the stadium is being built and the Gulf Cup will be here. I can't wait!" exclaimed one soccer player, 14-year-old Mohammad, through an interpreter.

The Basrah Sports City Complex will also be used as a training facility for future Olympians and world competitors of every scope, according to the display model, which showed training halls and fields for various sports, a main stadium with a capacity for 60,000 to 85,000 seats, an additional stadium, various courts and youth housing. The complex will also have a shopping mall, amusement park, playgrounds, museum and mosque.

One day, Mohammad said he aspires to play in the main stadium with the national team and win the World Cup and Olympics. His companions, who represented a wide range of different sports, responded with laughter and bravado as they jibed each other. But beneath the laughs, there seemed to be excitement and hope as their dreams played out in their minds' eyes.

A fellow athlete, Jaffer, piped in through an interpreter and boasted with 12-year-old seriousness, that he would be "a professional boxer; the world champion! I will be like Mohammed Ali."

One of the children's coaches said during the ceremony that the project represents a great future for Iraqi sports and that Sports City will benefit the city and country as a whole.

"There is a significant challenge before us before we can enjoy the benefits of Sports City, but we will do our best to bring about its completion, on which we will celebrate that glorious day," said Basrah Governor Sheltag Aboud al-Mayah, through an interpreter.

"This place will be added to the landmarks of Basrah and we should be proud of this great symbol,” the governor said. “The city of Basrah is known as the Sea City, the Palm City, the Border Gates and the capital of Iraqi culture. We wish to see it also as the capital of Iraq's economy and as our country's sporting capital."

[SandRat]

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[GreenLanternCorps]

A sign of civilization: “Build me a new stadium, or I’ll move the team to Mosul!”

[MonicaG]

Awesome - our troops rock that they made this possible! It’s so fun to see this, especially the smiles. Thanks for posting SandRat!

[BMCinSC]

W Stadium has a nice ring to it. Thank you President Bush.