On the Tigris, young rowers build Wasit’s first team

WASIT — A group of young people in Nu’maniyah, on the Tigris west of Kut, have turned a passion for rowing into a fledgling sports project, launching what they say is the area’s first move toward a rowing federation. What began with a single boat sent from Denmark has grown into a team drawing new participants, with the group providing safety gear to trainees. A 964media correspondent saw dozens of rowing boats on the river as members trained.

“The idea of establishing a rowing team in Wasit began with a gift that arrived from my uncle living in Denmark,” team founder Mortada Mohammed Ali said. “That sparked the idea, and we founded the rowing team. We are currently completing the official steps to establish a rowing federation and participate in local and regional competitions.” He said the group’s plan was to build up its equipment and draw in more young people, providing gear to anyone who joins.

“We are still amateurs in this sport, and the road is not fully paved, but we will do our best to establish an official team,” Ali said, adding that the team needed support for equipment and professional coaches. The boats, he said, were the same type used by European rowers, ordered online and made in Germany, China and the United States, costing between 200,000 and 350,000 dinars each.

Team member Ali Hisham said the project began about a month ago with rowing directly on the Tigris. “It is a distinctive sport, and we provide safety measures, as no athlete enters the river without wearing a life jacket and a safety leash attached to the boat,” he said. The group coordinates with the Nu’maniyah Youth Forum and runs an online group to recruit members.

Hisham said the team hoped to spread the sport to Baghdad, other governorates and the Kurdistan Region. “Unfortunately, the river police prevented us from training in Baghdad, but we obtained the required approvals in Nu’maniyah district,” he said.