PM Barzani stresses importance of Kurdistan Region participation at international sport championships

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday stressed the importance of the Kurdish region’s participation in international sports competitions in his meeting with the Iraqi minister of youth and sports.

Barzani received Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Al-Mubarqa in Erbil along with his delegation that had visited the Kurdish capital early Sunday to take part in the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Conference on Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

The premier reiterated the importance of participation of the Kurdistan Region’s teams in the international sports championships and activities, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

He also expressed the Region’s willingness to cooperate with the Iraqi Ministry to host international championships in the Kurdistan Region.

In turn, Minister Al-Mubarqa also expressed his ministry’s willingness to cooperate with the KRG, the statement added.

The Kurdistan Region’s stadiums are set to host the CONIFA World Cup 2024, a tournament for the football associations independent of FIFA.

France has officially invited a delegation from the Kurdistan Region to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games inauguration in Paris.

The international tournament is set to take place in July next year with the participation of various athletic teams from at least 206 nations. It is one of the most viewed sports events globally.