Al-Ghazzy Meets Al-Fartousi and Praises the Role of Committed Sports Media
The University President, Prof. Dr. Aqeel Sarhan Mohammed Al-Ghazi, met with Mr. Nafea Al-Fartousi, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Samawah International Newspaper and a prominent sports writer and journalist.
During the meeting, Al-Ghazi praised the significant role played by committed sports media (print, radio, and television) in disseminating and promoting positive national and social values, fostering a culture of combating violent extremism that leads to terrorism, and confronting sensationalist media outlets that seek fleeting fame while neglecting the interests of the country and its long-established sports movement, with its rich history of achievements at the Gulf, regional, Arab, and international levels, across various sports, categories, and genders.
At the end of the meeting, Al-Fartousi presented Al-Ghazi with a copy of his new book, "Hadi Ahmed: Maestro of Iraqi Football." The meeting was also attended by Prof. Dr. Ghanim Najeeb Abbas, a member of the University Council and a media and academic figure. It is worth noting that journalist and writer Nafea Al-Fartousi was born in al-Khidr district in 1969. He enrolled in the College of Arts at the University of Baghdad, earning a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Media in 1992. He then pursued a master's degree in the History of Journalism at the Institute of Arab History and Scientific Heritage, affiliated with the Arab League, before obtaining a master's degree in Digital Journalism from Jinan University in Lebanon.
He worked for numerous national and international organizations, including the news agencies NINA and Aswat Al-Iraq, the Japanese newspapers Yomiuri and Asahi Shimbun, and the American website Mawteni. He also managed the North American (Washington) bureau of Al-Sabah newspaper from 2016 to 2021.
He worked as a sports reporter and editor and is a member of the Journalists Syndicate and the Sports Press Union. He has several published works, including: Common Ending, Other Exiles, A History of the Iraqi Opposition Press from 1990-2003 (Master's thesis, 2017) published by Nor Popplacher in Germany, and a collection of short stories, Subsequent Autumn Seasons, published in Beirut by Anahil in 2013. He also authored Water and Flowers: Dialogues with Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, published by Adyan in 2024. In sports journalism, he has three books: Legends and Stars of Iraqi Football*, Hadi Ahmed: Maestro of Iraqi Football, and A History of the World Cup Tournaments from 1930-2022.