Politics and sports have had a long historical connection. In Iraq, this connection has always been very strong. This was the case even after the dictatorship of former President Saddam Hussein fell, and a new system emerged that was supposed to isolate the country’s political authority from professional, technical and sports institutions.
Under the former regime, Saddam's son, Uday, chose sports — particularly soccer — to be the foundation upon which he began building his political influence. In the 1980s, he became president of the Soccer Association, despite the fact that he was only in his 20s. He then gradually expanded his influence to become president of the International Olympic Committee, which grew into a colossal enterprise — akin to a state within a state — that performed a multitude of functions and held many responsibilities.
