Iraqi PM receives national under-23 football team
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, during his meeting with the Iraqi national under-23 football team. Photo: PMO
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, received on Saturday the Iraqi national under-23 football team to congratulate them for winning the 2023 West Asian U-23 Championship title, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Iraqi Prime Minister indicated that honoring the teams in different sports is a message of interest from the government.
“Honoring Iraqi sports teams also represents a government approach reflecting our belief in the importance of sport,” Al-Sudani said.
Al-Sudani stated that hosting sport tournaments indicates the stability of countries and their ability to organize sport events, which represent a means of communication between people.
The Iraqi Prime Minister emphasized that directives have been issued to the Minister of Youth and Sports to support youth and sports in all areas of Iraq.
Al-Sudani noted that sport occupies a special place among Iraqis, and this prompts the government to exert efforts for sports.
The President of the Iraq Football Association (IFA), Adnan Dirjal, thanked the Prime Minister for the great support he provides to Iraqi sports, especially football.
The Iraqi national under-23 football team was crowned the 2023 West Asian U-23 Championship title last Tuesday after defeating its Iranian rival 5-4 in the final match of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) for men’s under-23 held at the Al-Madina International Stadium in Baghdad.
This is the first time the Iraqi national under-23 football team has won the U-23 WAFF championship since it was founded in 2015.
Iraq’s Lions of Mesopotamia team won the 25th Gulf Cup title last January, and the youth team achieved second place in the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup last March following a 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan in the final and reached the U-20 World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.