The Christian Science Monitor notes that “[f]or Iraqi Olympians, their achievement is a bittersweet moment, the fruit of perseverance in the face of divided and corrupt sports institutions and severe personal risk.” Indeed, in order to prepare to the Beijing games, sprinter Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq and her coach have had “to navigate the violence and sectarian war between Sunnis and Shiites”:
Abdul-Razzaq is a Shiite living in a mixed area, known as Aalam, wedged between predominantly Shiite Biyaa and predominantly Sunni Saidiyah. Coach Abdul-Rahman, a Sunni, lives in a predominantly Sunni section of Mansour.
“We cut deals with Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents just so I can come and pick her up for training,” he says, describing how on numerous occasions they would get caught up in clashes between the two sides or dodge sniper bullets.
(HT: FP Passport)
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