For almost a decade, coach Hadi Abdulkareem Jubouri has been the driving force behind Iraq’s sitting volleyball team, guiding athletes to reach their full potential while threading the complexities of the sports for the disabled in a country still rebuilding from years of conflict.

His journey into coaching was a natural progression from his own illustrious career as a sitting volleyball player, spanning nearly three decades.

“I have been coaching for almost 10 years. Before that, I played from 1987 to 2015,” he said.

“The situation of sitting volleyball in Iraq is much better than before, for sure. Over these many years, I have seen it progress, gradually, slowly yet surely,” he explained.

One of the cornerstones of this progress is their club league, boasting nine competitive teams.

“In the club league, there is support from the government. They provide support in forming the teams, Jubouri explained, highlighting the collaborative effort required to sustain the sport’s growth.

“Though sometimes, we are faced with the challenge of not having so many young Para athletes. It’s difficult to search for young people with disabilities and get them into the sport.

Despite this obstacle, Jubouris dedication to nurturing talent shines through, especially in his role as the national team coach.

“In this national team, all of my players also play in the club league. But they really spend more training here in a year, and they really hone their skills and strengthen teamwork in the national team programme,” he revealed.

“Even though we have high hopes to gain the spot to Paris, and we are ready to have it, other teams also came here ready for this, and maybe some, even more ready than us. It is a really high-level competition.”

Lastly, he asserted his commitment to the athletes under his guidance.

“I could see myself doing other things for the sport, but all my energies are simply for mentoring and coaching. My place is on the court.”