Between the threat of Iran and the politicization of the ball.. Athletes warn: Do not fall into the

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[size=52]Between the threat of Iran and the politicization of the ball.. Athletes warn: Do not fall into the trap and preserve the gain of the “Gulf” in Basra[/size]

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[size=45]Recently, an issue has emerged on the football scene that may negatively affect the 25th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, which is being held in Basra, and the smooth running of the tournament, due to the issue of Iran and the “Persian” Gulf and its objection to naming the Gulf as “Arab”.[/size]
[size=45]Today, Sunday, the Iranian parliament attacked the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, and the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, in language that seemed “arrogant” against the backdrop of statements about the Gulf Cup in its 25th edition hosted by Basra, and in which they mentioned the term “Arabian Gulf”, which Iran strongly objects to. .[/size]
[size=45]The Iranian Football Association objected to naming the championship as the “Arabian Gulf” instead of the “Persian Gulf”, and submitted a protest note to the President of the International Federation of Football in this regard.[/size]
[size=45]The Sadrist movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, responded this evening, Sunday, to the Iranian Parliament’s request for the leader of the movement to apologize after his tweet about the term “Arabian Gulf.”[/size]
[size=45]This threatens to move to a political arena that strips the positive essence of the championship. Shafaq News agency highlighted this case, and polled the opinions of a number of prominent athletes, who warned against robbing the essence of the championship and being drawn into the trap of discrediting it.[/size]
[size=45]The football expert and former secretary of the Iraqi Football Association, Ahmed Abbas, indicated that “FIFA always emphasizes distancing itself from all manifestations of extremism and racism and all issues that distance the game from its lofty goals, including political issues or of a similar nature.”[/size]
[size=45]Abbas told Shafaq News agency: "We have become accustomed in the Gulf championships, since their inception in the seventies of the last century, to the name that was given to them in the two Gulfs of Basra (Gulf 25), and I mean by that (Arabian Gulf Championship)".[/size]
[size=45]He added, “I personally participated as a member of the Iraqi Football Association since the 10th Gulf Championship, which was held in Kuwait in 1990, and the term the tenth Arab Gulf Championship was used in it, and it began and ended, and we did not hear that there was any objection to the naming from any party, and so the rest of the tournaments took place.”[/size]
[size=45]Abbas pointed out, “The provocation of naming the Gulf as Arabic or Persian at this time by any party I find is an issue that may raise some sensitivities on the part of this or that party.” And he urged to work to stave off the repercussions of this issue, depending on the relationships and facts upon which the ties of neighborliness and religion were built, so that the Basra Gulf Championship would continue with its brilliance and glory in service of sport and its lofty goals.[/size]
[size=45]For his part, the Iraqi national football team player and former head of the police club, Abdul Abbas, called during his interview with the agency, “to keep sports away from politics, and not to attribute sports to their political differences.”[/size]
[size=45]Abdel-Abbas advised the audience not to be influenced by politicians, and political slogans should not be raised, because the International Federation forbids that in sports stadiums.” He added, “Let us let the tournament succeed and not involve troubles and disputes, otherwise some unjustified behavior will expose us to international sanctions.”[/size]
[size=45]He noted that "who made sports in Iraq in general, and football in particular, recede is the intervention of politicians."[/size]
[size=45]Abdel-Abbas concluded his speech by saying: “Sport brings together and politics separates, and how happy we were for the Arabs to gather in the ongoing Arab Gulf Championship in Basra, which brought back a glimmer of hope for a beautiful sporting reality.”[/size]
[size=45]And he concluded by saying: “This is why we, as athletes, do not like the intervention and presence of politicians, and we consider it unjustified, since their presence spoils sports, as I mentioned.”[/size]
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