MÎHRÎBAN SELAM KAKAYÎ

Halabja- Born in Saidsadiq district of Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan Region, Selar Mahmoud Qadir is one of the successful female scorers in the Kurdistan Region. She has made great efforts to realize her dreams despite all the obstacles of her family.

“Football is still considered a men's sport”

Selar Mahmoud Qadir is a young football player, who was born in 2003. She first played for Sulaymaniyah’s Sirwan team and then was promoted to goalkeeper in the Iraqi football tournament. “In the beginning, my family did not allow me to play in the football tournament. Then, they supported me when they saw how I made efforts to be successful. Families do not support women because football is still considered a men’s sport,” she says.

“Women should be engaged in sports”

Selar Mahmoud Qadir thinks that women football players are not supported during the tournaments held in Sulaymaniyah but they are given importance in the Iraqi tournaments and their expenses are covered. “Women should be engaged in sports by going out. By doing sports, they will not face health problems.”