French Ambassador hosts Iraqi Olympic and Paralympic delegations in Baghdad, celebrates historic victories

BAGHDAD — French Ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Durrell, hosted delegations from the Iraqi Olympic and Paralympic committees at his residence in Baghdad on Monday, celebrating the athletes’ performances at the 2024 Paralympic and Olympic Games in Paris.

Iraqi Paralympians delivered a standout performance, securing several medals. Najla Emad made history by winning Iraq’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal in table tennis. Additionally, fencers Ammar Hadi, Zain Al-Abideen Gilan, and Haider Ali earned silver medals, while Garrah Nassar took bronze in the shot put, and Wuldan Nizar claimed bronze in the javelin throw.

Despite the success in the Paralympic Games, Iraqi athletes faced challenges at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Sprinter Taha Hussein was eliminated in the men’s 100-meter quarterfinals, and judoka Sajjad Ghanim was suspended after testing positive for banned substances. Swimmer Hasan Ali also struggled, failing to advance beyond the heats in the men’s 100-meter butterfly, where he placed seventh in his race. The men’s football team, despite a victory over Ukraine, was knocked out early following losses to Argentina and Morocco.

Ali Ammar, one of Iraq’s youngest competitors at just 20 years old, impressed in the weightlifting competition, lifting a total of 437 kg to place sixth among the world’s top 12 athletes in his category. Although he did not win a medal, Ammar set two Junior World Records in the Snatch and overall total, marking a significant achievement for the rising athlete.

Full statement from Iraqi Olympic Committee:

French Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Patrick Durrell, welcomed the delegations of the Iraqi Olympic and Paralympic committees in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games at his residence in Baghdad. The meeting was part of efforts to strengthen sports relations between the two friendly countries and to support the athletes by celebrating their participation and active involvement.

The Secretary-General of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Mr. Haitham Abdul-Hamid, expressed “his deep appreciation for the great efforts made by the ambassador and the staff of the French Embassy in Iraq to grant visas for the participating athletes and administrative delegation, as well as the ambassador’s continuous follow-up on the athletes’ needs before and during their participation in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.”

For his part, Ambassador Durrell praised “the achievement of the athletes in the Paris Paralympics, who won five medals despite the strong competition during the Paralympic Games.” He noted that “the Iraqi participation in Paris 2024 was remarkable.”

The French ambassador also expressed “his great joy with the outstanding performance of the promising weightlifter Ali Ammar Yaseer, who achieved a significant ranking while competing with some of the world’s best and strongest athletes in weightlifting.” He also commended “the achievement of champion Najla Imad, who won a gold medal in table tennis at the Paris Paralympics.”

Durrell added, “Iraqi sports are on the right path, and the Iraqi champion, whose fame has spread worldwide, deserved all the recognition she received for paving the way to glory and gold with one hand, defeating all her competitors in the Paralympics.”

The event was attended by the Secretary-General of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee, Mr. Haitham Abdul-Hamid, the President of the Paralympic Committee, Mr. Aqeel Hamid, and the Director of the Office of the President of the Olympic Committee, Mr. Ahmed Al-Aluji.