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Iraqi archers take aim at the World Archery Championship
New York, July 15: Iraqis armed with deadly weapons have been welcomed into New York City to compete in the World Archery Championships.
New York, July 15: Iraqis armed with deadly weapons have been welcomed
into New York City to compete in the World Archery
Championships.
A few months ago a group of Iraqis roaming New York
City armed with bows and arrows would have been unthinkable.
But seven Iraqi archers have now been warmly welcomed by the
U.S. government.
The archery team is in New York to compete in the World
Archery Championships which began Monday (July 14) in the
Bronx.
As the Iraqi team entered the opening ceremony grounds it was treated to a hearty round of applause.
Amer Metab, the team's coach, expressed his happiness at getting this chance to compete.
"It was very important for us to participate in this big event, this sport championship and I'm representing my country and I want to show a good image for my country," said Metab.
"It's great for us to participate in this championship and represent my country and raise my flag with all these countries," said Mrs. Shartha, one of three women archers on the team.
During the war the four men and three women could not train properly and since the end of the major fighting they have trained in a makeshift training grounds - empty soccer fields.
After a whirlwind of diplomatic activity, the U.S. State Department managed to clear the Iraqi athletes for visas to visit the United States and now they are taking aim at the World Archery Championship - a qualifying event for the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Mustafa Sharaj, who heads the delegation of Iraqi archers, acknowledged the lack of training his team has been able to put in, but sounded undaunted.
"And we had a limited time, we can't do the training back in Baghdad. And we'll see, doing the training the best to do. But what's important is that we're here," said Sharaj.
International Olympic Committee officials have been lobbying hard for help in rebuilding Iraq's Olympic programme. Under Saddam Hussein's rule only a handful of athletes attended the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Back then Iraq's Olympic Committee was headed by Saddam's son Uday, who was accused of torturing and jailing athletes.
After the Archery Championship finishes next weekend, the Iraqi team will head to California, where it has been invited to practice with American archers at the U.S Archery Federation's facility. After that it has been invited to to compete at the U.S. Archery Championships in Pennsylvania.
Bureau Report.
As the Iraqi team entered the opening ceremony grounds it was treated to a hearty round of applause.
Amer Metab, the team's coach, expressed his happiness at getting this chance to compete.
"It was very important for us to participate in this big event, this sport championship and I'm representing my country and I want to show a good image for my country," said Metab.
"It's great for us to participate in this championship and represent my country and raise my flag with all these countries," said Mrs. Shartha, one of three women archers on the team.
During the war the four men and three women could not train properly and since the end of the major fighting they have trained in a makeshift training grounds - empty soccer fields.
After a whirlwind of diplomatic activity, the U.S. State Department managed to clear the Iraqi athletes for visas to visit the United States and now they are taking aim at the World Archery Championship - a qualifying event for the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Mustafa Sharaj, who heads the delegation of Iraqi archers, acknowledged the lack of training his team has been able to put in, but sounded undaunted.
"And we had a limited time, we can't do the training back in Baghdad. And we'll see, doing the training the best to do. But what's important is that we're here," said Sharaj.
International Olympic Committee officials have been lobbying hard for help in rebuilding Iraq's Olympic programme. Under Saddam Hussein's rule only a handful of athletes attended the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Back then Iraq's Olympic Committee was headed by Saddam's son Uday, who was accused of torturing and jailing athletes.
After the Archery Championship finishes next weekend, the Iraqi team will head to California, where it has been invited to practice with American archers at the U.S Archery Federation's facility. After that it has been invited to to compete at the U.S. Archery Championships in Pennsylvania.
Bureau Report.