Lifestyle
10.03.2022
Three Iraqi sisters shine in weightlifting
Ines, Israa and Oshin Mushin, three Iraqi sisters in their twenties, honored their late father by winning medals at the Arab Weightlifting Championships, a passion he passed on to them.
The Iraqi city of Erbil hosted the Arab Weightlifting Championship with 14 countries competing. And against all odds, the Iraqi national team stood out at the top of the podium, winning nine gold medals, one silver and one bronze ahead of the formidable teams from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
3 sisters, 1 passion and 1 objective
After their impressive performances at the Arab championship, the three sisters are already planning the next step of their journey between international competitions and qualifications for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “We want to write the history of women’s sports and preserve the history of our father,” says Ines Muhsin. The father of the three young women, himself a competitor and high-level athlete, would have asked as a last wish to see his daughters at the top of the podiums.
Iraq invests in women’s sports
Women’s sport is gradually developing in Iraq. The Iraqi Kurdistan region, where the Mushin sisters are from, has seen a boom in infrastructure, coaching and subsidies, which encourages a promising future for the national practice of physical activities. After their victories in the Arab championship, the weightlifters were even rewarded by the president of the region with a bonus for their medals. The club pays its athletes $150 per month and covers all equipment and competition costs.
Iraq may well see a generation of outstanding athletes like these three weightlifters in the next few years!