Mosul gymnastics club trains children for future Olympic dreams

MOSUL — In Mosul’s Dawasa neighborhood, the Ayad Sheet Sports Club is training children as young as five in gymnastics, laying the groundwork for future participation in national and regional competitions.

The club is the only one in the city offering gymnastics for young children and currently hosts 15 athletes between the ages of 5 and 9. Most of them were encouraged by family members, many of whom are former athletes themselves.

Founded in 1995, the club also runs boxing and taekwondo programs but recently expanded its focus to include gymnastics under coach Ziyad Mohammed, a former member of Iraq’s national team.

“We started training six months ago,” Mohammed told 964media. “The club now has 15 players, and our sessions include both general and equipment-based exercises, even though our facilities are modest.”

He said some of the gymnastics equipment was built by hand, thanks to support from coaches, the club’s management, and parents. “A player needs three to four years of training to be ready to represent the team. Our goal is Olympic medals in the future, and we have the potential to achieve that,” he said.

Mohammed emphasized the importance of starting young, ideally around age five, to develop flexibility, technique, and discipline under close supervision.

The young athletes expressed ambitious goals. “My grandfather encouraged me,” said gymnast Yousif Ahmed. “I want to become a world champion.” Another trainee, Hamza Mohammed, said he has been training for six months and hopes to one day join Iraq’s national team.

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