ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The French consulate general in Erbil and Rudaw Media Network organized an event on Friday in Kurdistan’s capital to celebrate the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “I am really delighted to have you all here so that we can watch this amazing ceremony,” Yann Braem, French Consul general to Erbil, told the attendants of the event. “More than 85 heads of states and heads of governments have gathered in Paris, including the Iraqi president and of course we have the president of the region of Kurdistan of Iraq and the governor of Erbil who is also attending,” he added. “And it is really a sense of pride that I am feeling here because I know that Erbil stands with Paris for the Olympic Games 2024.” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid were among the dozens of heads-of-state and other high-ranking officials officially invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to the opening ceremony of the Olympics. "I’m delighted to have met President @EmmanuelMacron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, and attended the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics," Barzani said in a post on X. “The Games are a remarkable showcase of global unity, and Paris has once again demonstrated its inspirational spirit in bringing the world together.” The French consul general thanked Rudaw for co-organizing the event. “There is a lot of emotion because I used to live in Paris. So seeing the streets of Paris full of people with artistic scenes and all the attention on my city is very moving to me,” he said. “And of course as a citizen of France and as a diplomat I feel very proud because of course this for us is an immense opportunity to showcase the beauty of our city and the beauty of our region.” Informative videos were played at the event, giving the audience a glimpse of the history of the Olympics and how Paris is embracing the Olympics again after 100 years. Ako Mohammed, CEO of Rudaw Media Network, said the Olympics has brought all people from various backgrounds together, including arch-enemies. “It is a great thing that the Olympics happen in Paris and we are standing here in Erbil to know what is happening at the Olympics - which brings together nations through sport,” he said. “The world has been divided due to some conflicts but it has united again in Paris where one can find Russians and Ukrainians, and Palestinians and Israelis. All divided nations have united there.” He added that the presence of President Barzani further linked Erbil and Paris together. Kurds have a close relationship with France, dating back to the 1980s. Danielle Mitterrand, first lady of France from 1981 to 1995, advocated for Kurds who were suffering under the regime of Saddam Hussein and was instrumental in campaigning for the no-fly zone that allowed the Kurdistan Region to develop its current autonomy. She was affectionately known as the “Mother of Kurds” and inaugurated the first Kurdish parliament in 1992. Erbil and Paris signed a “friendship and coordination” deal in 2019, becoming sister cities. France was one of the first countries to open a consulate in the Kurdish capital of Erbil after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 and played a critical role in helping Kurds both in Iraq and in Syria in the war against ISIS. Alan Qadir, secretary of the Kurdistan Olympics Committee, told Rudaw that he hoped Kurdistan Region will one day independently send its team to the Olympics Games. Kurds currently have to attend as part of the Iraqi team. "We have to lobby internationally to find a place in this institution," he said. A total of 22 athletes will represent Iraq in the Paris Olympics, with the men’s soccer team accounting for 18 of them. Iraq will also compete in judo, swimming, weightlifting, and athletics, with one athlete representing the country in each sport. On Monday, Shilan Shamal, a Kurdish woman from Diyala province, became the first Kurdish athlete to carry the Olympic torch. Two Kurdish athletes are participating in the Olympics as part of the Iraqi national soccer team, which beat Ukraine, 2-1, in an opening-round match on Wednesday. Kovan Hassan is a Kurdish javelin thrower and Olympic champion. Attending the Friday event held in Erbil, he told Rudaw that after several attempts he was finally able to win the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. “I live in a village and as you know village life is hard. It is not easy to become a champion in a village,” he said, adding that he had the help of many people to make his Olympic dream come true.
