Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports blocks referees from officiating matches

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Youth and Sports has refused to permit referees employed as civil servants within the ministry to officiate local and international sporting events, a ministry source told an Iraqi news agency. The source said the decision was justified by the need to prevent a conflict of duties, noting that ministry staff who take part in sporting activities would simultaneously be linked to sports federations. The ministry's position contradicts a 24 December 2024 official letter from the Prime Ministry's General Secretariat, which had stated that international referees could participate in domestic and overseas sporting events on official duty, with assignments limited to the period required by the task. The ministry source added that the new restriction raises questions about its consistency with the Sports Federations Law and with decisions issued by the Iraqi Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee. No further details on the dispute or its potential impact on upcoming competitions were immediately available.