Friday 45 Sports Friday, September 7, 2018 Free from jihadist grip, Iraqi weightlifters target medals Athletes narrate their ordeal under IS rule MOSUL: Two years ago, the Islamic State group Living under IS rule, they continued to juggle offered two successful Iraqi weightlifters a choice their training, work commitments and family lives. - either they compete in the Rio Paralympics, or In May 2017, after much of Mosul had been stay in Mosul, then controlled by the jihadists. An prised back from the jihadists’ control by gov- easy way to escape the group’s two-year occu- ernment forces, Ajeeli flew to the world pation of Iraq’s second city, one might think. But weightlifting championships in Eger, Hungary. there was a big catch. “IS wanted us to hoist their Dressed in orange and black lycra, he lifted 215 flag instead of the Iraqi national flag in interna- kilograms (474 pounds) and won a gold medal in tional competitions,” says Faris Al-Ajeeli, referring the 107-kilogram plus category, retiring to his to himself and fellow weightlifter Thaer Al-Ali. wheelchair grinning from ear to ear. This new Going to Rio and disobeying IS would have medal was just the latest for the Iraqi flag bearer left their families back in Mosul at risk of of Beijing 2008. In 2004, he won gold in Athens, and again in 2006 at the Asian Paralympics in reprisals. So “we couldn’t go to Brazil”, says Malaysia. And he has won trophies at regional Ajeeli, who had come away from London 2012 and continental level. with a silver medal. The two athletes have much Ali was also at Athens for the 2004 Para- else in common. They are both polio victims in lympics, where he won a weightlifting bronze. He their early 40s and are setting their sights on the came back from Hungary with a silver medal in 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The 2016 Rio the under 97-kilogram category, by lifting 210 Games - the only ones missed by the duo in over kilograms. But while the jihadists were van- a decade - were a “lost opportunity”, says Ali, MOSUL: Iraqi paralympic weightlifter Faris Al-Ajeeli trains in the northern city of Mosul as his quished in Mosul more than a year ago, athletes’ two daughters watch. — AFP who won a bronze medal at Beijing in 2008. training conditions in northern Iraq remain woe- ful. Ajeeli, the chief chemist at Mosul’s Al-Salam Training among ruins hospital, has even been forced to transform the lack of work, trains in a cramped public sports starting weightlifting at the age of 14. Lingering Iraq’s Paralympic Committee showed under- second floor of his home into a makeshift complex in Mosul’s Al-Muthanna neighborhood. restrictions by the security forces on transport- standing, says Tamer Ghanem, the weightlifting weightlifting gym. Fortunately, he has willing ac- The facility was partly destroyed during the ing goods to Nineveh province mean sports duo’s trainer for the last 15 years. The two ath- complices in his four daughters. While the eldest months of intense combat between security equipment cannot be sent to Mosul. But the duo’s letes “got an exemption without being penalized, is only 12, they have all helped fit out the room forces and IS. It is now nothing more than a con- 57-year-old trainer Ghanem hopes improve- because they had a good reason” not to partici- and arrange the weights discs. crete shell, the gates and windows whisked away ments in security will soon permit new gear to pate in Rio, he tells AFP. IS seized control of by looters. A fresh coat of paint on the walls fails arrive.The two weightlifters pack their bags. On Mosul during a lightning 2014 offensive, turning Wearing ‘Iraqi colors’ to disguise damage caused by shells and looting. September 8, they will compete in Japan in the it into the de facto Iraqi capital of a “caliphate” Ajeeli says he is determined to “hoist the Iraqi Confronting the heat in the absence of air Asia-Oceania paralympic weightlifting champi- that stretched across a third of Iraq. The two ath- colors high (in Tokyo)... as in all previous compe- conditioning - or even electricity to power a fan onships. They will set out with one goal - to se- letes refused to allow the setback to get to them. titions”. Ali, who struggles to feed his children for - Ali trains tirelessly, as he has every day since cure entry to the 2020 Games in Tokyo. — AFP and the Southampton clash could well have gone India eager to their way, particularly if captain Virat Kohli had enjoyed more support with the bat. Kohli is the leading batsman in the series with 544 runs at an ers for what will be national record run-scorer spoil Cook’s average of 68, including two hundreds, yet he will Jonny Bairstow Alastair Cook’s final Test before the 33-year- end up on the losing side. “I think you have got old former captain retires from international England farewell to get tough mentally,” said Shastri when asked cricket. “Jonny’s been the Test keeper for a long how India could improve their away record. to keep wicket time now and has done a fantastic job,” Root “We have run teams close overseas and we said at The Oval yetserday. “It’s not a reflection LONDON: Ravi Shastri has promised India “will have competed. But now it’s not about competing. in India finale on the way Jos went about things in the last not throw in the towel” when they face England We have to win games from here. “The scoreline game at all. “But long-term, you look at sched- in the fifth Test at The Oval starting today de- says 3-1 which means India have lost the series, LONDON: Jonny Bairstow will keep wicket for uling of all international cricket across the for- spite having already lost the series. England’s what the scoreline doesn’t say is that India could England in the fifth and final Test against India mats, and sharing that workload could be really 60-run win in the fourth Test at Southampton have been 3-1 or it could have been 2-2. And my at The Oval, the England and Wales Cricket key in terms of keeping everyone fresh and Board announced yesterday. Bairstow broke a gave them an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five- team knows it. They would have hurt and rightly ready at the top of their game.” match contest. It also meant India, for all they are finger keeping during India’s 203-run win in He added: “I think it’s a great way for those two so after the last game.” England, despite having the third Test at Trent Bridge, with England lim- the world’s top-ranked Test side, had now won won the series, face several awkward problems of guys to drive each other’s games forward as well. just one of their last nine series outside Asia. The ited-overs gloveman Jos Buttler taking over their own, with uncertainty surrounding whether We’re very fortunate to be in the position where Oval clash has been given added significance by behind the stumps in Nottingham. Jonny Bairstow, as is his wish, will keep wicket, Buttler was England’s keeper again, with we have two quality keepers.” Root, however, was the fact it will be the last appearance before in- adamant he had not succumbed to ‘player power’ ternational retirement for Alastair Cook, Eng- rather than Jos Buttler and what that means for Bairstow deployed as a specialist batsman, in a their respective batting positions. series-clinching 60-run win in the fourth Test from Yorkshire colleague Bairstow, who has made land’s all-time leading Test run-scorer. But India it clear he wants to keep wicket in Tests. “No, defi- coach Shastri, who helped his country to a 1986 It looks as if off-spinning all-rounder at Southampton. However, England, who are 3- nitely not,” he said. “I made it very clear if he’s series win in England, is determined the tourists Moeen Ali, fresh from bowling England to vic- 1 up in this five-match campaign, have returned going to be the Test match wicket-keeper he is spoil the party. tory at Southampton, will continue to bat at the gloves to Bairstow for the Oval Test, which three as he did in the second innings of the starts on Friday. “Jonny Bairstow will keep going to have to keep working really hard and that he might have been performing well for a ‘Get tough mentally’ fourth Test, thereby allowing captain Joe Root wicket after recovering from a broken middle “This is a team that will not throw in the to bat in his favored spot at number four. The finger,” said an ECB statement. As happened in long period of time but he’s going to have to towel,” Shastri told reporters at The Oval on vexed longer-term question of who replaces the second innings at Southampton, all- keep doing that. “I’m confident we have the right Wednesday. “It will come out there and look to Cook at the top of the order remains, as does rounder Moeen Ali is due to bat at number balance and team for this last game,” Root compete and not be on the first flight home, rest what England should do when James Anderson three, with England captain Joe Root continu- added.