Olympic Dream - Iraq

June 2004
For athletes in Iraq, pursuing the Olympic dream is virtually impossible. They're training for Athens against a backdrop of chaos and destruction.

"For a sportsman, training in an area like this is psychologically devastating," states Iraq's top rower, Haidar Nowzad. Only a brief stretch of river is safe enough for him to train in, his boat was looted by criminal gangs and his rowing club has been taken over by Americans. As he trains, a body is pulled out from the river behind him. Despite these problems, he practices every day desperate for a place in the Olympics. Sprinter Alaa already has a place at Athens. But she knows she stands little chance of success. Forced to run amidst rubbish and bombed out buildings she's training in conditions no other athlete would dream of enduring.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Athelete
• Olympic
• Iraq
• Dreams
• Rowing
• Saddam
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[haidoors]

Amazing athletes, I salute their dedication

[ironoarsman]

This is amazing. I wish them all the best of luck to stay safe and unharmed.

[guyanj]

hi, MeisterHinkel, please say hi to them from me. and wish them all the good luck

[MeisterHinkel]

hamsa and haidar are not living all the time in iraq!!!!

The FISA helps them to get some trianing places wich are more save!!! so no fear;-)

[MeisterHinkel]

hamsa and haidar had been to our rowing club for some weeks to train here=)

it was so much fun!!!

their are great person, also salute for there dedication!!

[girlken]

they are here in china,at least in the Olympic,they are save,but don;t know after the game when they back to home,is there possible they can live untill London Olympic??tears in heaven!

[guyanj]

i made friends with haidar & hamza at asian rowing championships in chungju-korea 2007, n hamza at asian games doha 2006.

if anyone could, please tell me an e-mail address or sumthing where i could say 'hi' to them.

by the way i'm the sculler from srilanka

[michaelyblam]

This IS one of the most inspiring videos I have ever seen on dedicated athletes. Every drop of blood and sweat of an athlete has a story behind. They are the GOLD medalists always in my mind!

[nathanoreilly]

Do you know what became of them? Shame about the rower, maybe he'll get a Beijing wildcard.

Good luck.