How did you get started in professional football?

Destination starts with the following first step. The totality of my career has to do with my childhood. In 1964 I was a student in primary school. I was fond of football to the point that I avoid my school and therefore I couldn’t pass. Unfortunately I was required to repeat the fourth class twice “two years”. I can add that after arriving from school, I spent the rest of my daytime in front of our house with my neighbors in playing football together until darkness fell. When I slept at night, I dreamt of playing in the Iraqi national team and how I was dribbling and marking goals! This was the dream of a Kurdish child who never understood that neither he nor any Kurdish person could represent the national team if they did not sign to be a member of the Baath party.

My activity as a football player extends between “1964 – 1974”. I represented Kofry primary school followed by Kofry secondary school and the SADA quarters youth team. On the 6th march 1974 I participated in the Kurdish revolution against Saddam Husain’s regime. I had to sacrifice my career as a football player behind me that it was the most painful separation

In 1981, I started with a group of friends the first army’s agriculture section football club in “Swehan-U.A.E” their where I worked as a supervisor. In July 1983, I left U.A.E. and moved to Sweden. Now I was for old to play more and in spite of that I participated in a Kurdish team in “Malmö” where we played just for fun and lives quality.

In 1998, I registered my son Dilan who was 6 years old in “Håkanstorps football club”. Here the role has been changed with Dilan training twice a week. I was at hand to help him but after two weeks, I proposed to the club administration to have their agreement to respond of those children coaching and lead them. They agreed and I coached the team for exactly 5 years. We had many glorious football memories together and then I was able to coach the clubs youth group. After a year I changed the club and coached Liria IF-s senior team for a year. Afterwards, I moved to London in the United Kingdom. It was in London, that I agreed with Kurd Stars FC team to lead them and together we worked to raise the first Kurdish club with intention to collect all Kurdish power under the same club and to be a link between our Kurdistan’s and European clubs. We are working side by side with the same intention for which we are sure that it will be a reality and it will gave a good result.

During my ten years as a coach I progressed and participated in more than ten courses in Sweden and United Kingdom according UEFA courses. I studied three sport courses in Malmö University. In May 2005, I taught two groups of coaches in Kurdistan.

Certainly all what I have done since 1964 until the present had to do with football. Therefore I can say that what has changed wasn't more than the role, which has changed is the role from a player to a coach. Regardless, the dream is still the same; yet the role is another.

2. When did the concept of a football team for Kurdistan get started [in the form of football associations and football clubs]?

After the first Gulf War of 1991, the situation in Iraq changed. The Hussein Regimes total domination of Iraq began to fade away because his brutality against Kurdish people in Kurdistan “north of Iraq” and Shite Muslims in south. The Iraqi no-fly zones were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect humanitarian operations in northern Iraq and the year after in southern.

The Iraqi government withdrew its military and other personnel from the region in October 1991. At the same time, Iraq imposed an economic blockade over Kurdistan, reducing its oil and food supplies. The totality of these occurrences have created the occasion for Kurdish parties”KDP and PUK” to form Kurdish government and parliament. Now the establishment of peace and freedom were a fact in Kurdistan. The Climate for activity was started. Football was one of the popular sports in Kurdistan like in all Iraq. 1992 was the year of the formation of teams in Kurdistan and an intern league matches started between the formed teams. Unfortunately the two main parties”KDP and PUK” couldn’t unite and each one of them has formed own football association. Despite this, I can say that the period between 1991-2004 was a good occasion for those associations to learn from their mistakes, proofs and their opportunity in how to organize themselves to build football teams and start coaching courses etc.
The years after Saddam Hussein’s fall on 9 April 2003 “which has given the name of the second Gulf War 2003”, bring about distinct changes. Paul Bremer appointed the chief executive authority in the country as U.S. by President Bush. Kurdistan Regional Government became a fact. Our parties”KDP and PUK” came agree to lead the Kurdish people from Hawler the capital of Kurdistan and our football associations began to work under the name of Kurdistan Olympic Committee. Now the necessity was to be a part of Iraq in order to participate in the Iraqi league, be a part of Iraqi Football Association and participate in the Asian cup which happened to the Hawler team 2007/2008. And now the Kurdish Hawler team prepares to act the first play in the name of Iraqis head team and represent all Iraq.

3. You have written two poems. One of the titles is Chilei and another is Geran. What is the significance of Chilei and Geran?

The revolt of Kurds against Iraq’s regime which had started in September 1961 has reflected in our daily activity, from the smallest discomfort to pride. It was necessity that literature takes steps and reflects the events. During that time there lived two of today’s known poets “Latif Halmat and Ferhad Shakaly” in my town Kifri. 1967-1969 on their hand had modernized the Kurdish poems. We knew each other. When they knew that I was interested in poetry and I had tried writing some poems, we became very close friends. The group affect was as a stream which gave me a successfully push. In 1970 I published my first poem in Hawcary newspaper and 1987 I published my first collection of poetry in Sweden, under the name of” Searching for Bahgat Hikmat” who was a famous fighter and very ideal rebel who was wounded in an internal war between our two Kurdish parties”KDP and PUK” . He was captured and murdered then on the 10th of March 1974.

On the samples in which a Swedish library had bought from me, the following comment was published (This collection of poems has been written between 1970-1985. The form of poems belongs to the new rhythmical style that differs from the classical oriental poems. Language is easy-to-read and often with nice poetical expression. The central theme in this book is partly the Kurds liberation fight, and partly the bitter internal conflicts and fighting in the Kurdistan. This goes for both the poetry that been written in Kurdistan on 70-th and the other nostalgic poetry during immigration periods on 80-th. The title of the book has been selected in order to remind a Kurdish rebel’s destiny, who is Bahgat Hikmat. A hero in the author's eyes that goes to struggle in order to extricate her country, but fates irony lead to that he after many years’ brave struggle against her country's enemies finally fell for a bullet in Kurdistan’s tragic internal struggle.

I published my second collection poetry in 2001 in Sweden and 2002 in Kurdistan, under the name of “The 40-th day ceremony of the revolution and the revival of the principalities”. It is difficult to describe all what was written in this collection but I think that the title described it.

Although, the most of poems, focuses on my strong affection for my lost homeland and the wishes to continue the revolt until we will get our rights. Yes, two general topics: politics and love dominated both collections. The political poems stand out for their powerful polemics and brutally defiant tone, against the Fascist claims on Kurdistan. The love poems foreshadow the eventual transformation of the beloved female into the beloved homeland which is characteristic of “Palestinian poet Mahmud Darwish's” subsequent poetry, whose poetry were for me like my water and bread. Generally I like to write easy and to use simple vocabulary, plain and creating fascinating new images and the music in language. What more I can say is that I write less. The style and topic in my poems are very carefully chosen

4. Are there or will there be an English Translation of Chilei and Geran?

No. I don’t know if it will be [translated] or not because we do not have translators or authors that specialize in the translation of Kurdish Literature. Each of Kurdish authors translates for their own work or they have friends [who are multilingual] and can translate. My English is not so good and my current friends are football players and they haven´t any idea about literature. I have a paragraph from a long poem which is translated some years ago by my friend Ferhad Shakely.

5. What difficulty have the Kurdish Football Players [amateur and professional] encountered in being able to play football in a league or team? How have the Kurdish Players been able to cope with obstacles placed in their paths? While I would have preferred to separate sports from politics, I was thinking in terms of countries that have not wanted to recognize the significance of Kurdish Football.

The Baath Party that eventually came to power in 1963 has followed a no investment policy in Kurdistan. This policy has executed very negative effects on all lives branches in the Kurdish area, and the sport has got his part of neglect.

We hadn’t more than a pitch and that it was just in the big towns and unfortunately it belongs to their teams. In order to be a tolerable citizen in Iraq or to be treated similar like the party members, and have access to train on the pitch; people were forced to devote time to the Baath party and contributes with espionage on their people. So we lost any rights to similar handling to them. They tried all ways to despoil us from any branch for their best.

Such handling leads our young Kurdish people to confront the Baath’s Fascist ideology. The majority of them preferred to leave there activity in spite of to degrade them self in her peoples' eyes. It was important for them to don't serve the Baath Fascist party’s interesting in Kurdistan. Because that our young either amateur neither professional couldn't go farther away with their sport activity. The most activity include in the local teams and playing or on the streets or outside of the town on none common football plane! The Kurds had no option but to revolt and choose to be Kurdish fighter “Peshmerga”.

6. What progress has Kurdish Football achieved after Kurd Stars FC, the Kurdistan FA, and the Olympic Committee of Kurdistan?

I would exaggerate if I consider that the Kurd Stars FC add something to Kurdish football inside Kurdistan. But we can be proud of Kurd Stars FC success as a team outside of Kurdistan. Kurd Stars FC succeeded in trying to identify Kurd desire through their presence and performance.
The attractive thing with Kurd Stars is that through its successes within a short time has helped the optimism on our youth who live in Great Britain and it has contributed to found two other Kurdish teams in London and not least than two others in other cities in Great Britain. We work like to combine with FA in the near future to help Kurdish football.

The Kurdistan FA, through its activity has inspirited our young people to start teams and register them in the FA league. Kurdistan FA’s clear ambition is to offer and distribute footballs and team wears to each new teams. I also appreciate their intention to raise fields even in small towns.

Unfortunately, our Olympic Committee is the worst administered because of the political fight between its employers. They are not insomuch as contribute with something positively to Kurdish sports!

7. What is needed for a football team to advance in terms of play and facing opponents during a game?

Ambition, an excellent motivation with a good discipline, and a serious organisation are needed during a game to advance opponents.

To complete the processes as mentioned above; there is a need to implement in advanced in player’s heart two important factors, which are psychological and physical.

8. When the time comes for a Kurdish Nation [again, excuse the politics], will Kurdistan apply to join FIFA?

We will join FIFA when the time politically is right, I mean when Kurdistan is internationally recognized, but meanwhile we work together with Iraqis till Kurdish dreams comes true , as we are working on.
We are already part of Iraqi’s FA, as Kurdish clubs as well, for example Hawler FC, which is a Kurdish club, is the Iraqi champion for year 07/08, and they are going to represent Iraq in Asian Champion League.

9. Has FIFA recognized Kurdish Football as a separate entity or has FIFA been indifferent?

As you know FIFA is dealing with just recognized countries, and as I mentioned in answer of question 8, we are a nation without a recognized estate, so that is why we are part of Iraqi’s FA.

10. What advice would you give to those who want to play football as a career?

As I mentioned in my answer in question 7 about advance in terms of play and facing opponents, there were some advices and I want to add a couple more like; continually focus on training, technical skills and physically ability.

Thank You Kinan Kadir for this interview and thank you Kurd Stars FC.

China appointed Bora Multinovic as their national coach taking into account the experience he had. Multinovic may not have won the 2002 World Cup for China but he was able to help China take football [soccer] to a new level. We should also take into consideration that China has been a success in itself by surprising the Football [Soccer] World with its victories in the 2007 Asian Cup. What Multinovic did was construct the bases for a better football [soccer] in China, what China did was improve itself and became known as a Football [Soccer] Powerhouse. 

The Kurd Stars FC who is the only Kurdish Team to play in an English League has Kinan Midhad Kadir as their coach and Sarkhell Nawroly as its Chairman and Player. Kinan Midhad Kadir and Sarkhell Nawroly have brought the Kurd Stars FC to higher levels in football [soccer] as well as promoting Kurdish Football [Soccer] to the Kurdistan Olympic Committee, Kurdistan Football Association, and The Ministry of Sports and Youth of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Kurdistan of Iraq. Kinan Midhad Kadir and Sarkhell Nawroly have been able to promote Kurdish Football [Soccer] through their years of experience as ex player, player, as well as manager and coach. The Kurd Stars FC has managed to advance to the leagues in England, Kurdistan, and the remote areas of the world. They even gained a supporter in Miami Florida. 

African Countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Angola, and even Rwanda have had ex players from other countries as managers and coaches secondary to their experience in the field. Africa in the end has advanced in the World Cups and is expected to make a strong impression in the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. For example, the coach of Cameroon who was an ex player for various German Teams whose name is Winfried Schafer took Cameroon to the near top of the African League. Winfried Schafer also managed to help instill discipline, tactics, continuity, and a pro active play into Cameroon that was instrumental in converting Cameroon into an African Powerhouse in Football [Soccer]. Winfried Schafer also asked Germany's Coach Rudi Volli to respect Cameroon as a team in a show of defiance against his country and in defence of the country that accepted him. This show of defence occurred in the preparations for the 2002 World Cup.  

Cameroon was such a success that Press TV reported that Iran offered Winfried Schafer but what transpired was that nothing came to fruit and Iran finally offered the job of coach and manager to a trainer for Persepolis Tehran with experience as a player in Iranian Football [Soccer] named Afshin Qotbi. Whether Iran can progress to the 2010 World Cup is another matter. I think Iran will progress since Iran has chosen experienced players and trainers in the past to coach and manage its national team. Football [Soccer] teams do not limit their success by restricting appointments of managers to ex players. Football [Soccer] teams appoint what they think is the best person who can help a team win or at least take a team to "higher levels" [using the quote by Joel Osteen].   

REFERENCE: 

Kurd Stars FC Website

http://www.kurdstars.com/index.html

Assessed on the 18th of March 2008 

BBC Sport: "Eto'o sees Schafer as World Cup 'key' Wednesday, 26 December, 2001, 13:52 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/1729264.stm

Assessed on the 18th of March 2008 

BBC Sport: "Schafer warns Germany"; Tuesday, 4 December, 2001, 11:55 GMT  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2002/1691467.stm

Assessed on the 18th of March 2008 

Press TV: “Iran finally introduces new coach”

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=37281§ionid=3510211 

Press TV: “Reid will not coach Iran soccer team”

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=32038§ionid=3510211 

Press TV: “Schafer may coach Iran soccer team”

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=31091§ionid=3510211 

Press TV: “Qotbi Iran’s new football coach”

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=45350§ionid=3510211

El Equipo de Futbol Kurd Stars FC felicitaron al Dr. Roberto Carlos Alvarez-Galloso en el dia de su cumplea~nos. En realidad, la fecha sera el cinco de Marzo y queria compartir esta fecha con mi familia de Univision.

The Kurd Stars FC is the only Kurdish Club to officially belong to the London FA League. Actually, The Kurd Stars FC belong to the West End London AFA Sunday PM Premier Division. In the present 2007-2008 season as of the statistics of the 15^th of January 2008, there were four victories, three drawn games, and seven lost with 22 goals for, 22 goals against, and a seven point difference.

Kurd Stars FC was in seventh place The Kurd Stars FC was founded in September 2005 and its Club Chairman is Mr. Sarkhell Sirwan Nawroly. Since its beginning in September 2005, the Kurd Stars FC has been the recipient of its first kit by Adnan Shaswar, was featured in the website of the English Football Association [FA.com], interviewed by the multi talented multifaceted journalist Namiq Rafiq (Khoshnow] of Kurdistan Satellite Channel, and was featured in Kurdistan's Prestigious Newspaper Xebat. In addition to raising awareness of Kurdish Football, they have helped clubs in the Kurdish Areas of Iraq form their own football teams and have sent sports experts and coaches to Iraqi Kurdistan to help train future players,

 

 Sarkell Nawroly. Cortesia de Sarkell Nawroly y los Kurd Stars FC

KURD STARS FC 

Mientras los eventos de Curdistan Iraquie [en el norte de Irak] reciben publicidad por las guerras y amenazas de invasion, tambien existe las buenas noticias.

Existe un equipo cuyo nombre son los Kurd Stars FC y pertenecen a la Division Primaria de Londres AFA como el primer club curdo en aquella division. Su meta es poder jugar con otros equipos en el mundo. Incluso han participado en juegos contra otros equipos curdos en Inglaterra y en Curdistan.

Los Kurd Stars FC fue fundada en Septiembre 2005 como una fuerza unificadores de los Curdos en el Futbol y en el mundo.

Los Kurd Stars FC tienen otras metas como ser socio del Comite Olimpico del Gobierno Provisonal de Curdistan y la Asociacion de Futbol en Curdistan. Los Kurd Stars FC son un equipo no lucrativo que han hecho obras humanitarias en fomenter el futbol en Curdistan en la generacion de jovenes que solo conocian Guerra y represion.

Uno de los fundadores del equipo Sarkell Nawroly es creyente en el concepto del buen caracter siendo compatible con el deporte en especial el futbol. He tenido el honor en converser con el Sr. Nawroly mediante el ordenador y explico su concepto. Un jugador con un caracter bondadoso y en pro de la humanidad dara mejores resultados que un jugador egoista. Con ese comentario, pienso en lo que decia Jesus Cristo en la Biblia: “El Buen Arbol da Buenos Frutos. El Mal Arbol da Malos Frutos. Hay Que Erradicar El Mal”.

Me alegro que los Kurd Stars FC estan avanzando en Inglaterra y en Curdistan [del norte de Irak]. Incluso, plante la pregunta al Sr. Nawroly si Kurd Stars FC quieren jugar contra Miami FC en el Parque Tropical en Miami Florida. La respuesta del Sr. Nawroly fue “Si” porque el es creyente en que el futbol es una fuerza unificador para el mundo [tomando en cuenta que existe los defectos en el futbol como en cualquier deporte].  

Quiero expresar mis mejores deseos para Kurd Stars FC hoy y siempre.

 

Sarkell Nawroly of the Kurd Stars FC. Courtesy of Sarkell Nawroly and the Kurd Stars FC. 

Welcome to another segment of the Alvarez Galloso News Hour. I have invited Sarkhell Nawroly of the Kurd Star FC to be interviewed. For me, it is a pleasure to have Mr. Nawroly and the Kurd Stars in this segment of the news hour dedicated to sports especially football.

1.What was the reason for the formation of the Kurd Stars Football Team?

To show that the Kurds are a nation, as well as others, to participate in sports and communicate with other nations and to integrate with different societies in London, as London is a perfect place to achieve this.

It is a fact that the Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state. The estimated number of Kurdish population is about 40million spread across four countries; Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. 

So this club is somehow uniting the Kurds from all the four parts.  By this, Kurdish from all the different parts of Kurdish land can participate in this project. Hopefully this will be a ground that one day our dreams will come true in our home land.

2.In what year did the Kurd Stars Football Team join the Premier Division [Sunday PM] of the London AFA Team?

I established Kurd Stars as a sports project on the 10th of Sep 2005 in London.

In the same year we registered our football club with the London AFA to participate in football league; this is a record in Kurdish history that we are the first football club to play officially in London league.

Our main aim is to make a bridge between all sportsmen and sportswomen together to participate in sports activities outside the Kurdish land, to consequently introduce them to the Kurdistan Olympic Committee of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq.

3.What are the measures being taken to unite Kurdish Athletes to become a part of the Kurdistan Olympic Team and in the case of football players, The Kurdistan Football Association?

We are going to put the profiles of sportsmen and sportswomen on our website, I have introduced Kurd Stars project to the head of Kurdistan FA (Safin Kanabi) and the sport minister (Taha Barwary) of (KRG) - Iraq, so by this we can facilitate introducing the sports people to the right people in the future. For example looking for a coach in certain type of sport should be effortless this way. In addition providing them with sport conferences or ask them to participate in Olympic team representing Kurdistan.

4. What is the importance in having a good character and sporting ability?
 
 

It is human nature and in their genetic to be competitive with things in nature as well as all other living creatures to continue living.

We human beings are all messengers on the earth, wanting to pass our massage to the rest and show our abilities in different ways and to prove it that we are the best or record our name in history by breaking records, in the past and unfortunately still now war, terror has been a way of passing it, some claim that they are messenger of God.

In the Roman empire’s stadium was a place of heroes of wining their lives by killing their opponent, but as World Wars invented football as other way of proving abilities between soldiers, so sport abilities makes a person or a nation alive.

Things are slowly changed from war and terror to friendly competitions in sports and art, alongside with good character as we are going to civilize the world as an individual and as nations want communications and relationships, so sports alongside with art are the nicest language to do so with a good manager and character as it makes the sportsman or sportswomen as an icon or symbol for the whole world, so a good character could change the world faster, a top goal soccer in the world cup might have more effect on the society than a speech of any president.
 

5. Will Kurdistan eventually apply to join FIFA? What would be the obstacles facing Kurdistan if it attempts to join FIFA?
 

Hope this dream will come true, but unfortunately (in the case of Iraqi Kurdistan) we are still a part of Iraq. This was my question to the head of Kurdistan FA, and his reply was that, it is not possible as we are not a country as Kurdistan.

So, this reminds me of putting nations without country in a corner, as it is same as what applies to United Nation (UN), as from its name, but our nation haven’t got a seat in the UN as we are not a country.

6. In Miami, there is a football club called Miami FC. Have the Kurd Stars ever thought of playing exhibition games in the USA including Miami Florida?
 

This type of communication or competitive match is quite interesting and challenging.

In the past, we have been visiting other places in the UK to play with other Kurdish teams and encourage them to join a competitive league in their cities which they live in and to make a
our network wider, meanwhile making friends through sports is easier and simpler and fun.

But we haven’t been able to go to Europe yet, although many Kurdish teams invited us from Sweden, Germany and Holland.

When I visited Kurdistan of Iraq last summer, I joined a team and they are willing to carry Kurd Stars name to be part of our club, essentially to have branch over there.

So of course any invitation from a team will make us happy, especially from Miami and Florida. We will be over the moon.

7. Besides designing two kits for the Ararat Football Club in Kurdistan of Iraq, what other acts of charity has the Kurd Stars been involved in?
 

My brother, Rawand Nawroly (www.nawroly-design.com), is a website designer, he dedicated the official emblem of Kurdistan FA, and designed Kurd Stars website and our football kits, but the cost of the kits were taken care off by The Ararat FC back home, and we showed our appreciation through our website by thanking them.

Any Kurd Stars activities are of non profit, the first two years my brother and I took care of the finances of running the club and the third year is on other two dearest members (Sabur and Zozek) and with some optional voluntary income from the rest of members.

And I want to mention about our coach Kinan Midhad Kadir

(www.kanan-m.com) whose spent about 30years in Europe, he has studied football in Sweden, so he is also voluntarily helping Kurdistan FA by opening coaching courses as he is qualified to give coaching certificates, and through him some invitation for coaches from Kurdistan to the UK to take up short course have been arranged. But things have been going slower as there are still obstacles with visa clearance to enter the UK.

So we are here to make things easy to improve Kurdish sport forward.

8. What other countries have the Kurd Stars played in besides the UK and Kurdistan?
 

 Hope we will be able to play one day. None yet. Hope one day

9. The Kurd Stars Next Game is against Hollywood on 6-I-2008, the Sevenths on 20-I-2008, and the Barnet Eagles on 27-I-2008. What are the possibilities of victories or draws? 
 

The Kurd Stars aims in this are to put 100% effort in both on and off the pitch, so that is why we never think about losing, and we never give up till the last whistle, but we are struggling fanatically. As a result we can’t afford to have training pitch to train on, so that is why we are not doing so well with results at the moment.

It has been stated by our opponents and the referees that we have always played with our hearts and are very skilful and deserve to be on top, but we have been beaten by teams who have better fitness, which is a shame, so hopefully finding a sponsor will help.
 

10. For people who want to play professional football, what advice would you give them?
 

Practice .. Practice .. Practice..
Never give up a practicing, never think that you failed to do or you think that you not doing well at it or you think that is your weakest side. Do  it over and over till you make it right, don’t move on to next practice or exercise till you get it right.

Our contact:

www.kurdstars.com

info@kurdstars.com

 For me, it was a pleasure to have interviewed you. It is hoped that we could repeat this experience. I for one will add Kurd Stars to my link in the Alvarez Galloso News Hour. Thank You for your time.
 

Roberto