Over 30,000 fans entered Iraq to attend 25th Gulf Cup
The opening ceremony of the 25th Gulf Cup in Basra International Stadium. Photo: Sky News Arabia
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An official statement revealed the number of people entered Iraq to attend the 25th Gulf Cup matches held in Basra in southern Iraq.
The Border Ports Commission issued an official statement explaining that 34 thousand people entered Iraq to attend the 25th Gulf Cup that started last Friday.
Head of the Border Ports Commission, Omar Al-Waeli, mentioned that the number of people arrived in Iraq for the football championship through Basra International Airport and Safwan border crossing on the southern border with Kuwait reached nearly 34 thousand people.
Al-Waeli added in a statement that those arrived in Iraq to attend the football championship are the participating national teams, official delegations, representatives of media channels and fans.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, directed in mid-December to cancel entry visa fees for everyone visiting Iraq to attend the 25th Gulf Cup championship.
The tournament that will last until January 19 is taking place with the participation of eight teams divided into two groups. The first group includes Iraq, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, while the second group includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
Four matches have been held so far in the first round of the group stage, in which the teams of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar achieved victory, while the match between Iraq and Oman ended in a tie (0-0).