Iraqi National Team (U18) Claims 2nd Place at the West Asian Athletics Championship 2025
Our national team claimed second place in the overall team standings, behind Qatar, at the conclusion of the 3rd West Asian Youth Athletics Championship for boys and girls. The tournament wrapped up on Sunday evening at the Sports City in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with the participation of nine countries: Qatar, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, and Jordan. Kuwait finished in third place overall. In the girls' category, the UAE team secured first place, Lebanon came second, Syria third, and Iraq ranked fourth.
The tournament's organizing committee held an awards ceremony to distribute medals and gifts to the winning teams. The event was attended by Lebanon's Minister of Youth and Sports, Noura Bairakdarian, the President of the Asian Athletics Association, Major General Dahlan Al-Hamad, members of the West Asia Federation Council, and the heads of the participating delegations.
The Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sports emphasized that preparations for the championship were completed in the final days leading up to the event. She noted that the successful organization and the strong participation of Arab countries, along with the spirited competition among youth athletes, was a source of pride and admiration for Lebanon. Bairakdarian added that this sports gathering resulted in a genuine partnership between Lebanon and the Arab countries and represented a victory for fair sportsmanship. She expressed hope that this partnership would mark the beginning of more successful championships in Lebanon, opening a new chapter in the country's modern history — a chapter that urgently needs such events that bring together Arab nations. She also stressed the need for collective support to enable Lebanon to host more future championships.
For his part, Major General Dahlan Al-Hamad, President of the Asian Athletics Association, stated that "the road to success always begins with a single step," and that the West Asian Federation has proven that it is on the right path — even accelerating its progress — in terms of organization, participation, and the competitive spirit shown by male and female youth athletes until the final day of the tournament. He highlighted that one of the most remarkable features of this edition was that all participating teams won medals, which reflects the success and proper planning for a competitive and thriving athletics scene. Al-Hamad emphasized that these medals are a commitment to each nation's people and government, and that such achievements should be honored by their countries as recognition of their young athletes' efforts, serving as motivation for future competitions. He also noted that West Asia has distinguished itself and advanced more than East Asia in recent years, thanking all participants and wishing them further success in upcoming championships.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sabah Hassan, head of the Iraqi delegation, expressed his joy at this achievement, which was the result of significant efforts made by the athletes and coaches despite limited financial resources. He praised the team's performance in competing across all events against strong Arab teams such as Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, which had undergone extensive preparations through overseas training camps. In contrast, the Iraqi national team only held a domestic camp in Baghdad before joining the competition on its opening day. He affirmed that the federation worked hard to ensure participation in this championship, as it is included in the International Federation's official calendar, and saw the registration of qualifying marks for the 2026 World Youth Championship in the USA. Dr. Hassan commended all the athletes and their coaches for their outstanding efforts in achieving this major accomplishment.