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UK: Interview with Kinan Midhad Kadir of
the Kurd Stars FC
18.4.2008
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April
18, 2008
LONDON, UK -- In my interview with sports
personalities, I have come across many but none like
Kinan Kadir.
Kinan Kadir is one of the pioneers in Kurdish
Football. He is also associated with Kurd Stars FC
which is a Kurdish Football Club in London, England,
Great Britain.
How did you get started in
professional football?
Destination starts with the following first step.
The totality of my career has to do with my
childhood. In 1964 I was a student in primary
school. I was fond of football to the point that I
avoid my school and therefore I couldn’t pass.
Unfortunately I was required to repeat the fourth
class twice “two years”. I can add that after
arriving from school, I spent the rest of my daytime
in front of our house with my neighbors in playing
football together until darkness fell. When I slept
at night, I dreamt of playing in the Iraqi national
team and how I was dribbling and marking goals! This
was the dream of a Kurdish child who never
understood that neither he nor any Kurdish person
could represent the national team if they did not
sign to be a member of the Baath party.
My activity as a football player extends between
“1964 – 1974”. I represented Kofry primary school
followed by Kofry secondary school and the SADA
quarters youth team. On the 6th march 1974 I
participated in the Kurdish revolution against
Saddam Husain’s regime. I had to sacrifice my career
as a football player behind me that it was the most
painful separation. |
Kinan Midhad Kadir, management team - Coach, joined
Kurd Stars FC in March 2006
Kurd Stars FC 2008 team |
In 1981, I started with
a group of friends the first army’s agriculture
section football club in “Swehan-U.A.E” their where
I worked as a supervisor. In July 1983, I left U.A.E.
and moved to Sweden. Now I was for old to play more
and in spite of that I participated in a Kurdish
team in “Malmö” where we played just for fun and
lives quality.
In 1998, I registered my son Dilan who was 6 years
old in “Hakanstorps football club”. Here the role
has been changed with Dilan training twice a week. I
was at hand to help him but after two weeks, I
proposed to the club administration to have their
agreement to respond of those children coaching and
lead them. They agreed and I coached the team for
exactly 5 years. We had many glorious football
memories together and then I was able to coach the
clubs youth group. After a year I changed the club
and coached Liria IF-s senior team for a year.
Afterwards,www.ekurd.net
I moved to London in the
United Kingdom. It was in London, that I agreed with
Kurd Stars FC team to lead them and together we
worked to raise the first Kurdish club with
intention to collect all Kurdish power under the
same club and to be a link between our Kurdistan’s
and European clubs. We are working side by side with
the same intention for which we are sure that it
will be a reality and it will gave a good result.
During my ten years as a coach I progressed and
participated in more than ten courses in Sweden and
United Kingdom according UEFA courses. I studied
three sport courses in Malmö University. In May
2005, I taught two groups of coaches in Kurdistan.
Certainly all what I have done since 1964 until the
present had to do with football. Therefore I can say
that what has changed wasn’t more than the role,
which has changed is the role from a player to a
coach. Regardless, the dream is still the same; yet
the role is another.
When did the concept of a
football team for Kurdistan get started [in the form
of football associations and football clubs]?
After the first Gulf War of 1991, the situation in
Iraq changed. The Hussein Regimes total domination
of Iraq began to fade away because his brutality
against Kurdish people in Kurdistan “north of Iraq”
and Shite Muslims in south. The Iraqi no-fly zones
were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom
and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect
humanitarian operations in northern Iraq and the
year after in southern.
The Iraqi government withdrew its military and other
personnel from the region in October 1991. At the
same time, Iraq imposed an economic blockade over
Kurdistan, reducing its oil and food supplies. The
totality of these occurrences have created the
occasion for Kurdish parties”KDP and PUK” to form
Kurdish government and parliament. Now the
establishment of peace and freedom were a fact in
Kurdistan. The Climate for activity was started.
Football was one of the popular sports in Kurdistan
like in all Iraq. 1992 was the year of the formation
of teams in Kurdistan and an intern league matches
started between the formed teams. Unfortunately the
two main parties ”KDP and PUK” couldn’t unite and
each one of them has formed own football
association. Despite this,www.ekurd.net
I can say that the
period between 1991-2004 was a good occasion for
those associations to learn from their mistakes,
proofs and their opportunity in how to organize
themselves to build football teams and start
coaching courses etc.
The years after Saddam Hussein’s fall on 9 April
2003 “which has given the name of the second Gulf
War 2003”, bring about distinct changes. Paul Bremer
appointed the chief executive authority in the
country as U.S. by President Bush. Kurdistan
Regional Government became a fact.
Our parties ”KDP and PUK” came agree to lead the
Kurdish people from Hawler the capital of Kurdistan
and our football associations began to work under
the name of Kurdistan Olympic Committee. Now the
necessity was to be a part of Iraq in order to
participate in the Iraqi league, be a part of Iraqi
Football Association and participate in the Asian
cup which happened to the Hawler team 2007/2008. And
now the Kurdish Hawler team prepares to act the
first play in the name of Iraqis head team and
represent all Iraq.
What difficulty have the
Kurdish Football Players [amateur and professional]
encountered in being able to play football in a
league or team? How have the Kurdish Players been
able to cope with obstacles placed in their paths?
While I would have preferred to separate sports from
politics, I was thinking in terms of countries that
have not wanted to recognize the significance of
Kurdish Football.
The Baath Party that eventually came to power in
1963 has followed a no investment policy in
Kurdistan. This policy has executed very negative
effects on all lives branches in the Kurdish area,
and the sport has got his part of neglect.
We hadn’t more than a pitch and that it was just in
the big towns and unfortunately it belongs to their
teams. In order to be a tolerable citizen in Iraq or
to be treated similar like the party members, and
have access to train on the pitch; people were
forced to devote time to the Baath party and
contributes with espionage on their people. So we
lost any rights to similar handling to them. They
tried all ways to despoil us from any branch for
their best.
Such handling leads our young Kurdish people to
confront the Baath’s Fascist ideology. The majority
of them preferred to leave there activity in spite
of to degrade them self in her peoples’ eyes. It was
important for them to don’t serve the Baath Fascist
party’s interesting in Kurdistan. Because that our
young either amateur neither professional couldn’t
go farther away with their sport activity. The most
activity include in the local teams and playing or
on the streets or outside of the town on none common
football plane! The Kurds had no option but to
revolt and choose to be Kurdish fighter “Peshmerga”.
What progress has Kurdish
Football achieved after Kurd Stars FC, the Kurdistan
FA, and the Olympic Committee of Kurdistan?
I would exaggerate if I consider that the Kurd Stars
FC add something to Kurdish football inside
Kurdistan. But we can be proud of Kurd Stars FC
success as a team outside of Kurdistan. Kurd Stars
FC succeeded in trying to identify Kurd desire
through their presence and performance.
The attractive thing with Kurd Stars is that through
its successes within a short time has helped the
optimism on our youth who live in Great Britain and
it has contributed to found two other Kurdish teams
in London and not least than two others in other
cities in Great Britain. We work like to combine
with FA in the near future to help Kurdish football.
The Kurdistan FA, through its activity has
inspirited our young people to start teams and
register them in the FA league. Kurdistan FA’s clear
ambition is to offer and distribute footballs and
team wears to each new teams. I also appreciate
their intention to raise fields even in small towns.
Unfortunately, our Olympic Committee is the worst
administered because of the political fight between
its employers. They are not insomuch as contribute
with something positively to Kurdish sports!
What is needed for a
football team to advance in terms of play and facing
opponents during a game?
Ambition, an excellent motivation with a good
discipline, and a serious organisation are needed
during a game to advance opponents.
To complete the processes as mentioned above; there
is a need to implement in advanced in player’s heart
two important factors, which are psychological and
physical.
When the time comes for a
Kurdish Nation [again, excuse the politics], will
Kurdistan apply to join FIFA?
We will join FIFA when the time politically is
right, I mean when Kurdistan is internationally
recognized, but meanwhile we work together with
Iraqis till Kurdish dreams comes true , as we are
working on.
We are already part of Iraqi’s FA, as Kurdish clubs
as well, for example Hawler FC, which is a Kurdish
club, is the Iraqi champion for year 07/08, and they
are going to represent Iraq in Asian Champion
League.
Has FIFA recognized Kurdish
Football as a separate entity or has FIFA been
indifferent?
As you know FIFA is dealing with just recognized
countries, and as I mentioned, we are a nation
without a recognized state, so that is why we are
part of Iraqi’s FA.
What advice would you give
to those who want to play football as a career?
As I mentioned in my answer to the previous question
about advanceing in terms of play and facing
opponents, there were some advices and I want to add
a couple more like; continually focus on training,
technical skills and physically ability.
I would like to thank Kinan Kadir for his valuable
time and for allowing himself to be interviewed
about Kurdish Football.
Kurd Stars FC
website
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