Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq, an Iraqi sprinter, born on January 3, 1986 is the only woman of the four Iraqis who have qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She hails from a sports-loving family. Her father was a champion bicycle racer with the Iraqi national team, and her brother is a bodybuilder. Currently, she resides in Baghdad, Iraq.
Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq grew up in a Saddam Hussein dictated Iraq. She hardly got an opportunity to exhibit her talent. Ouday, the dictator’s son was in command over the field of sports, and he was known for tormenting athletes whose performances were not up to the mark. For this reason, her petrified parents restricted Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq from participating in sports.
When the U.S. marched into Iraq in 2003, Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq, knowing that it was the time to start her career, fastened her sneakers and made a bold venture into the track. Right from 2003, Yousif Abdul-Rahman, a Sunni Muslim was the coach of Abdul-Razzaq, a Muslim Shiite. She feels that a sport is the only unifier of the Iraqi people.
Her sprinting career was initiated and developed amidst war and sectarian conflicts. Despite of various impediments she faced, Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq continued her practice within the war-torn country, making her the only athlete from Iraq who was within the country.
To participate in Olympics had been a long time dream of Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq. This dream was almost shattered on July 24, 2008 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) determined that Iraq was not welcome to Beijing due to the ‘serious interference’ of the Iraq government with China’s Olympic affairs. Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq waited as negotiations were made for Iraqi’s restoration to the Olympics and subsequently, the ban was removed.
Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq qualified for the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint events and represented Iraq in the 2008 Olympics as a determined sprinter. She participated in the Women’s 100-meter Round 1-Heat 2 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished sixth, recording a time of twelve minutes thirty six seconds, which is her personal best. Her dreams extend way beyond the medals. Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq dreams to see Iraq as a unified nation and not as Sunnis and Shiites.
