‘Iraq football fans are crazy for the game’: Yaser Kasim

Yaser Kasim made a triumphant return to Iraq duty in Basra. (AFP)
Updated 04 March 2018
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‘Iraq football fans are crazy for the game’: Yaser Kasim

BASRA: Yaser Kasim adjusts his feet, grins broadly and stares down the camera lens.
It is midnight in Basra and he has just stopped for a selfie. Again. On the short walk from the Mnawi Hotel’s dining room to the lobby, he is met every few steps by a fan seeking a photographic memento.
“We’d better do the interview upstairs,” he smiles. “Otherwise it could take a while.”
Kasim plays his club football for England’s League One side Northampton Town, nearly 3,000 miles away. He has hardly played this season and it is unlikely he would be recognized walking down the high street of the rugby-mad English town.
In Iraq, however, Kasim is hero-worshipped. Since announcing himself on the international stage with a series of influential performances in the 2015 Asian Cup, the midfielder has been a firm favorite with the fans.
After a self-imposed sabbatical from the national team, Kasim, after discussions with national coach Basim Qasim (right), opted to return to the fold for Wednesday’s momentous friendly against Saudi Arabia. And for both player and fans, absence clearly made the heart grow fonder.




Iraq beat Saudi Arabia in a friendly in Basra 4-1 to the delight of the players and fans. (AP)

“Yaser, Yaser, Yaser,” the Iraqi supporters shouted as Kasim sat, seemingly rooted to the substitutes’ bench, deep into the second half. Moments later the crowd had their wish; Kasim jogged on to the pitch for his first international match on Iraqi soil.
“I have always said that the Iraqi fans are the best in the world — they are crazy for football and for the players,” Kasim told Arab News.
“I appreciate them so much and I’m humbled when they shout my name. When I come back to Iraq I get to meet a lot of people every day and you just get such a good vibe.”
Those good vibes certainly transferred to the players in Basra, a 4-1 thrashing of Saudi Arabia making a statement on the pitch, but a bigger one off it. It was the most high-profile match to be staged in Iraq for years and momentum is now building for the country to welcome back competitive internationals.
For Kasim, who has only ever played “home” matches in front of empty grounds across the world, it is an exciting prospect.




Iraq beat Saudi Arabia in a friendly in Basra 4-1 to the delight of the players and fans. (AFP)

“Just having that real home feeling is very special,” Kasim explained. “It’s a pressure that I enjoy, and I know my teammates do too. Big occasions are what you want to have as a professional footballer.
“When you compare it to playing in Dubai, or playing in Malaysia, the difference is just ridiculous. Even when it’s an important game, it is just not the same as it being in Iraq. It elevates you to another level — really, it’s amazing being out there on the pitch. I really do hope we get to play our home games here going forward.
“I think for any opposition player, too, they would love to play in front of such passionate fans. You could tell that the Saudi players appreciated how good it was in the stadium. The pitch is really good, too — it is cut well and promotes fast football.
“I truly hope that FIFA sees this game and realizes that these fans deserve to watch their team play in Iraq.”
The match in Basra was an emotional one for many of the players but it was perhaps Kasim’s veteran teammate Mahdi Karim who felt it most. The 2007 Asian Cup champion officially hung up his international boots after 17 years and more than a century of caps — receiving a standing ovation from fans as he left the pitch.
“Mahdi is a great footballer and an amazing guy. He will be massively missed. Obviously we were focused on the game but we knew Mahdi was retiring so we went out to see the fans before the match and threw some of his shirts into different corners of the ground. It was all Mahdi’s idea — a brilliant thing to do that sums up the kind of person he is.
“It’s always a loss when some of the more experienced guys leave the squad. Of course there will be a part missing in the dressing-room but it gives other people — myself included — the opportunity to stand up and take the mantle.”

A potential step up in seniority would represent another stage of self-discovery for Kasim. Every time the 26-year-old returns to Iraq it is a poignant reminder of where he comes from. Born in Baghdad, his family moved to Jordan when he was six, before settling in the UK. He may have received his football education in England, but Kasim still feels deep ties to his homeland.
“I like playing in England but it is nice to also have that background, coming from a country that has a different culture. It’s always great to come back.
“On a more personal level it is just really good that someone like me, who left Iraq at a young age, is able to come back and reconnect with my heritage. It brings out something within you as a man, a bit of maturity and cultural understanding. It goes some way to helping you feel more complete as a person.”
A first match on Iraqi soil has helped further cement that link to the country of his birth. And having witnessed the adoration of the fans in close quarters, Kasim is hungry for more.
“This occasion, obviously, will always give me happy memories of Basra. It kind of trumps everything else I’ve experienced in Iraq. Being around the people and these sort of occasions, it really helps the country move forward. You realize that officials are stepping up and doing things right. I’m hoping this is just the beginning.”


$2m Saudi Smash opens in Jeddah

Updated 01 May 2024
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$2m Saudi Smash opens in Jeddah

  • World’s best table tennis players set to battle it out over 11 days
  • Singapore’s Quek Izaac, Sweden’s Filippa Bergand secure first round wins

JEDDAH: Top players from around the world are taking part in the Saudi Smash table tennis event that got underway on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
This is the first World Table Tennis Championship event to be held in the Kingdom and there are big prizes up for grabs over the next 11 days.
The singles events open with a qualifying stage, which run until Friday and will see 64 men and 64 women — several of them Saudis — competing for eight spots in the main draw. They will then join 56 of the world’s top male and female players in the main event, which starts on Saturday.
There is a total prize pot of $2 million on offer, with the winners of the men’s and women’s singles events also picking up $65,000 and 2,000 world ranking points.
Singapore’s Quek Izaac got off to a flying start in the men’s singles on Wednesday, beating the No. 6 qualifying seed Sathiyan Gnanasekaran from India 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11).
Quek reached the last 16 in last year’s Smash in his home country.
In the women’s singles, Sweden’s Filippa Bergand fought back from two games down to defeat India’s Archana Girish Kamath 3-1 (3-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9).


Two-time defending champion Alcaraz crashes out in Madrid

Updated 01 May 2024
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Two-time defending champion Alcaraz crashes out in Madrid

  • Rublev, the world number eight from Russia, came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, handing the third-ranked Alcaraz his first defeat on Spanish clay in 25 matches
  • Rublev will face either Taylor Fritz of the United States or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final

MADRID: Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was sent crashing out of the Madrid Open on Wednesday as Andrey Rublev triumphed in their quarter-final clash.
Rublev, the world number eight from Russia, came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, handing the third-ranked Alcaraz his first defeat on Spanish clay in 25 matches.
Rublev will face either Taylor Fritz of the United States or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final.
Alcaraz, who was forced to sit out clay court events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to a right arm injury, had been in control in the first set.
However, 26-year-old Rublev battled back with Alcaraz looking increasingly weary as the tie progressed in chilly conditions in the Spanish capital and with the roof closed on the Manolo Santana Stadium.
Rublev carved out breaks in the first and fifth games of the decider and celebrated victory when the 20-year-old two-time major winner dumped a tired return into the net.
The Russian clubbed 30 winners as Alcaraz appeared physically spent following his three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday in a last 16-tie which stretched to almost three hours.


Chelsea working to understand injury woes, says Pochettino

Updated 01 May 2024
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Chelsea working to understand injury woes, says Pochettino

  • Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa
  • “Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table

LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s medical and coaching staff are trying to work out why the club have been so badly plagued by injuries, with as many as 14 players likely to be missing for Thursday’s visit of Tottenham.
Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, in which the Chelsea boss was forced to name five academy graduates aged 20 and under on the bench.
The Blues’ campaign has been badly disrupted by the unavailability of players, including several acquired at huge expense as part of a £1 billion ($1.25 billion) transfer spree over the past two years.
Notable absentees include Wesley Fofana, who has not played all season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury, and forward Christopher Nkunku, who has been limited to seven Premier League appearances.
Romeo Lavia has played only once for the club while Reece James and Ben Chilwell have also had lengthy spells out of the side, who are in mid-table.
Last week it was confirmed that Enzo Fernandez, signed for a then-British record £105 million in January 2023, will not play again this season following a hernia operation.
“Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table.
“It’s difficult to explain with one word or in one sentence. Of course we are working on trying to improve. We have an amazing staff — medical staff, coaching staff. They have experience in managing clubs and being in this business.
“When some circumstances arrive, sometimes it can happen. We need to now, until the end of the season, put all the information on the table and try to be better next season.
“We need to improve in communication, dynamics, strategy. Everything to do with our knowledge to improve and coordinate better.”
Pochettino paid tribute to veteran Brazilian defender Silva, 39, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after a four-year stay.
“He’s an amazing guy and amazing professional,” said Pochettino. “Playing until nearly 40 years old is an amazing career.
“Of course, the players, the fans and club are going to miss him. But he’s happy, he’s so proud of his career here at Chelsea. We wish him the best because he deserves the best.”


Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England

Updated 01 May 2024
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Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England

  • Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made
  • Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison

LONDON: German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.
Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors in full, but Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made.
“On the spectrum of bankrupts who range from ‘difficult as possible and doing everything to frustrate the trustee’s inquiries’ to ‘co-operative, providing information and delivering up assets’, Mr. Becker clearly falls on the right side of the line,” Briggs wrote.
Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding 2.5 million pounds ($3.1 million) in assets after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He had been convicted in a London court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate. He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over Grand Slam trophies and his Olympic gold medal to bankruptcy trustees.
He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, but was released early under a fast-track deportation program for foreign nationals.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title. He went on to become the world No. 1 player, winning two titles at Wimbledon, two at the Australian Open and one at the US Open.
He retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor and celebrity poker player.
Becker blamed laziness and bad advice for his financial problems that led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) over an unpaid loan of more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the joint trustees did not oppose his effort to end the case but did not support it because he still owed about 42 million pounds ($52.5 million).
Becker’s lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had reached a settlement that includes a “substantial sum” the tennis great must pay. The agreement “includes the outstanding trophies,” Doyled said, adding Becker “can’t do more than he has done to bring us to this point.”


Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics

Updated 01 May 2024
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Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics

  • New York, Dallas and Florida will be venues for T20 World Cup to be held in June 
  • International Cricket Council says tournament would help sport leave a mark in US

New Delhi: Next month’s T20 World Cup will help build cricket’s profile and popularity in the United States ahead of its appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport’s world body said.

The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was confident the tournament would help the sport leave a mark in a land where baseball rules.

“The fact that a World Cup has come to the US — the largest sports market in the world — that in itself has generated a lot of interest,” Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable on Tuesday.

“This is a key stepping stone for the promotion of the game toward 2028 and beyond in terms of providing world-class cricket for the massive existing fanbase that the sport already has in the US,” he added.

“We are trying to give them something they haven’t had on their doorstep before and maybe pique the interest of the American sports community by telling them that cricket’s actually an older sport in the US than baseball.”

T20 cricket will feature as one of five new sports at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Cricket’s only previous appearance at an Olympics was in 1900 in Paris, where a team from Great Britain defeated France.

Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park, near New York, has seen a 34,000-seater temporary stadium, with a drop-in cricket pitch, constructed.

It will host the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9 among its eight scheduled World Cup games.

“We are really happy with the pitch,” said stadium manager Damian Hough.

“Everything that we have done has exceeded expectations. I can’t predict scores, that’s for the batters.

“We hope that we have got a typical T20 pitch where there is good bounce, good pace and value for shots. Obviously you want batters to play shots all around the ground.”

Hough and his team introduced drop-in pitches more than a decade ago at Adelaide Oval, where he is head curator.

But creating the stadium in Nassau County has seen different challenges, including growing the pitch in the sub-tropics of Florida before transporting it 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) north through multiple climatic zones.

Tetley said the stadium would be dismantled after the T20 extravaganza, but the “world-class facilities” would leave a lasting legacy for cricket in the United States.