Sport | Football
Iraq soccer coach quits following death threats
Iraq's national soccer coach has resigned after receiving death threats against him and his family, a top sporting official said yesterday.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 July 30, 2006
Baghdad: Iraq's national soccer coach has resigned after receiving death threats against him and his family, a top sporting official said yesterday.
It was the latest in a series of threats, kidnappings, and killings of Iraqi sports officials.
Coach Akram Ahmad Salman submitted his resignation on Friday to the secretary-general of the Iraqi Football Federation, Ahmad Abbas, and left the capital, Abbas said.
"He resigned due to a threat he received to quit training the Iraqi soccer team," Abbas said. "'We know you, your family members and your address. Quit training the Iraqi soccer team otherwise you'll all be eliminated."'
It was not clear if the threat was made over the telephone or through a written statement.
Salman was not reachable for comment.
The soccer team yesterday headed to the northern city of Irbil for a training camp in preparation for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in December.
Salman and his family accompanied the team to Irbil among the safest parts of Iraq but will not supervise training, Abbas said.
Earlier this month, unknown gunmen kidnapped the chairman of Iraq's National Olympic Committee and at least 30 other officials, including the presidents of the taekwondo and boxing federations, in a brazen daylight raid on a sports conference in the heart of Baghdad.
Daily violence
The abduction came after Iraq's national wrestling coach, a Sunni, was killed in a Shiite district of Baghdad.
Iraqis have been rallying behind their soccer team, whose successes in the past three years have provided a joyous distraction from the daily violence.
The team won the gold medal in the West Asian Games in November 2005, beating Syria 4-3 on penalties.
The soccer team yesterday headed to the northern city of Irbil for a training camp in preparation for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in December
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