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Texas: Iraqi Kurdistan Soccer Kids Win
U.S. Hearts
18.4.2006
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FRSICO, Texas, April 17, 2006, (CBS) It's
safe to say that the boys who play for Iraq's
national youth soccer team probably don't have too
much fun in their lives. They got a treat last week
when they traveled all the way to Texas for a big
tournament.
The Iraqi team didn't win the tournament, but as
Kelly Cobiella reports, the kids did win a lot of
hearts.
For Dallas soccer mom Tammie Barnes, mornings have
been a lot busier recently. On the agenda, boiled
eggs and tea, phone calls to Baghdad — and lots of
bike riding. "They're riding bikes," says husband
Greg Barnes, "to the point that you've got to go out
and get them to leave."
But these Iraqi teens didn't come 7,000 just to
pedal. They came to play in the prestigious
International Dallas Cup soccer tournament. The team
was made up of 18 kids from oil-rich Kurdish towns
and insurgent-laden provinces, where back home, just
practicing can be a game of life or death. |
Photo: CBS |
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In the safety of Dallas suburbs, the Iraqi team
started off hotter than a Texas summer, outscoring
opponents 16-2.
But the tournament wasn't just about winning — at
least not for the man who paid hundreds of thousands
of dollars to bring the team to Texas. Granted,
oilman Albert Huddleston wants to do more business
in Iraq — but he also sees a bigger payoff.
"I think it's important that we have the young of
tomorrow in America and also in Iraq and other
countries know each other," Huddleston says.
In the Barnes house, it worked. In less than a week,
their three house guests became more than just
friends.
"They've become part of our family, very much so,"
says Tammie Barnes. "I don't want them to go home."
On the soccer field, the Iraqis were the fan
favorites. But pride and passion weren't enough.
Their dream of winning the tournament died in the
quarterfinals, when a team from Cobb County, Ga.,
beat them by one goal.
"They came over here full of hope, since their
country is at war — the gunfire days and nights,"
says Ayman Al-Kurd, a fan. "They wanted to go back
with something to make the people happy ... make
their parents proud of them."
That something may not be a trophy ... but it is a
prize that may be worth a little more. And on
Tuesday, they'll visit the White House.
www.cbsnews.com
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