Engineer Walid Al-Saadi delivered a message of thanks and gratitude to the coaches working for the Federation in Baghdad and all governorates, saying…
“My dear friends…”
Despite the lack of official support from Olympic bodies—for reasons that remain mysterious and unexplained—the gymnastics champions in the south, center, and north remain faithful to their dream, adhering to their noble mission, working with unparalleled determination and dedication in their training units to build a golden foundation that will raise Iraq’s name high in Arab and international forums. This is a moment of pride and appreciation for all of you:
To my brothers in the north: Hirsh, Basem, Ziad, Jassim, Laith, and Salem.
In the middle: Mahmoud, Ahmed, Hamed, Muwaffaq, Enas, Firdous, Ihab, Ali, and Ali.
And in the south: Bassam, Farouk, Nawar, Abdullah, and Mohammed…
You are the makers of hope… You work day and night in harsh climatic and financial conditions, with little support. Despite all this, you do not stop, you do not retreat, but rather amaze us day after day with what you achieve from nothing.
On behalf of my colleagues in the Federation, I stand before you today with respect and gratitude.
We have done a lot, and we are still continuing to implement legal and administrative steps, despite the many postponed promises. But we remain steadfast in what we began from day one, and we will not deviate from the path of reform we have chosen, regardless of the challenges.
We will not despair…for we are driven by your will and by an Iraqi sports dream that deserves to be lived.
From me and my colleagues at the Federation, I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude.
Your brother
Engineer Walid Al-Saadi
President of the Iraqi Gymnastics Federation
