BAGHDAD, April 18, 2010 - The first book on the history of sports journalism in Iraq has just been published. The 200 page book History of Sports Press in Iraq includes more than 150 different pictures, some of them which are exceptionally rare.

Author and colleague Hisham Al-Salmaan, who has been an AIPS member since 2005, and has published a book on Iraqi Football in 2007, noted that the book contains seven chapters and three appendices.

Al-Salman said that the Ministry of Youth and Sports will hold ceremonies to celebrate the signing of the first version,

IN its first chapter the book covers the history of journalism in Iraq in general and  marks the Zwaraa as Iraq’s first journal issued by the Ottoman governor Midhat Pasha in 1869. The second chapter refers to the first Iraqi sports magazine which was published with the name The Sports Club in 1922. It also reviews all of the 146 newspapers, magazines and specialized sports supplements which have been published in the nation, including 65 newspapers, 36 magazines and 45 various other publications.

The third chapter of the book talks about the upheaval and change in the press following the USA invasion of Iraq in 2003. 62 sports newspapers and magazines were published since then starting with the Al-Riady Jadeed The New Sportsman newspaper which was promptly published after the invasion on April 30, 2003.  The author continues narrating the story of the issuance of sports supplements in Iraq and the Arab world in Chapter IV of his book whereas in Chapter V he analyzes how it became a race, so to speak, among new newspapers to issue sports supplements getting the number to 40 within less than two years.

Al-Salman honours pioneer sports journalists in Chapter VI and covers the foundation of the Iraqi Sports Press Association and the outcome of elections throughout election cycles. He documents the names of former presidents and members of the association since its emergence as a simple committee.

In Chapter VII, the author gives his viewpoint on the situation of printed press and the will of those whom he called "intruders on the profession" to turn the profession into an easy job which depends only on the Internet and websites benefitting from the lack of follow-up to report abuses or literary theft and how those have imagined it is possible to indulge themselves in this profession without writing a word in their entire lives before in order achieve hidden goals in politics.

The book includes some interesting anecdotes such as that of Dhai Al-Munshae’s pen and how he broke it taking a vow not to write anything else any more, in addition to other stories of some pioneer journalists and difficulties in journalism in the three lasting decades.

The Iraqi Sports Press Associations (ISPA) has praised the book and intends to honour the author in its next meeting.

The book could indeed be considered as an important reference documenting the printed press in Iraq and a major leap in sports publishing in Iraq. 

By Veteran Journalist Abed-Alhakim Amer, Head of International Relations ISPA, AIPS Football Commission Member, Asia Working Group