OTHERS: Iraqi Team in the Olympics

OK, the beginning of another (good) new week.

We have been enjoying the Olympic games for the last couple of days, mostly swimming and gymnastics (the Mrs. is Romanian, so I think it's pretty much understandable). One other thing that really makes me pumped up about the Olympics is - no, NOT the crybabies of the US Basketball team, which got spanked by Puerto Rico yesterday - but the Iraqi team; their football (soccer) team in particular.

I can't describe the warm feeling of watching their contingent paraded and being cheered by everybody in the stadium. Politics aside, you can't help but rooting for these guys.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10385028^662,00.html
THE Royal Australian Air Force has flown the Iraqi Olympic team out of Baghdad at the start of its journey to Athens.A RAAF C-130 Hercules flew the 48-member team from Baghdad International Airport yesterday under tight securityTHE Royal Australian Air Force has flown the Iraqi Olympic team out of Baghdad at the start of its journey to Athens.A RAAF C-130 Hercules flew the 48-member team from Baghdad International Airport yesterday under tight security .......

And their football team surprisingly beat Portugal 4-2 and Costa Rica by 2-0 and now entering the quarter final. From here, who knows how far they can go? [for those who don't follow football/soccer, Portugal is one of the world power-house. Granted they might not have sent their full first squad, it is still an achievement beating the Portuguese team]
http://www.athens2004.com/en/FootballOlympicTournament

The above "achievements" are sweet after what the country has been through, even before this event, they had to go through this kind of challenges from some barbarians:
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10134006%255E1702,00.html
ASSASSINS tried to kill the head of Iraq's Olympic committee in an ambush of his convoy in the middle of Baghdad, the head of the committee said today.Ahmed al-Hijeya was heading to a television interview yesterday when his two-car convoy was ambushed on Baghdad's Haifa Street, the scene of regular violence and occasional street battles between insurgents and US and Iraqi forces, he said overnight.
...... "I am surprised at this attack because the Olympic Committee has nothing to do with politics. This committee belongs to all Iraqis, regardless of their political, religious or ethnic origins," Mr al-Hijeya said.

I hope only the best for the Iraqis and their Olympic team!


--H