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February 1, 2016

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Iraq qualifies

IRAQIS set off fireworks and took to the streets to celebrate Iraq’s qualification for the Olympics, a rare unifying bright spot for a country plagued by violence and division.

Iraq defeated Qatar 2-1 in the Asian Football Confederation’s U23 Championship to secure a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the fifth time the Iraqi team has qualified.

The Iraqi football team has made four previous appearances at the Olympics: Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988 and Athens in 2004.

“The Iraqi Olympic team put a big smile on the faces of tired Iraqis,” journalist Ziad al-Shammari wrote on Facebook after the victory over Qatar. “Their governments haven’t done that in 12 years,” Shammari said.


 

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