Iraqi girls basketball team gets boost from Pat Summitt

Iraqi girls basketball team gets boost from Pat Summitt

By JILL MCNEAL
6 News Anchor/Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A UT student's dream of uniting cultures through sports became reality Thursday with the help of the State Department and Pat Summitt.

Ten Iraqi girls and their three coaches traveled thousands of miles to attend a summer basketball camp at UT.

One of the players, 15-year-old Romrama, said she is living one of her dreams, playing basketball in America in front of Summitt.

"She's a great coach. Everybody in Iraq dreams to meet this coach," she says.

The Iraqi teen got her passion for the sport from her big brother.

"I thought just men played basketball, but when I see women play basketball I was so happy," she says.

The coaches say these girls are the lucky ones.

"We have religious problems. Sometimes families don't allow girls to play basketball, but there are other families who are great supporters for their girls," says Khoshee.

Hoping to broaden that support, UT doctoral student Sarah Hillyer founded and organization called Sport 4 Peace.

"My vision was just for girls and women in the Middle East and North Africa as a way for them to develop self-efficacy and have a good experience in sport, but really to promote peace and solidarity and communication between our countries that don't often times have an opportunity to communicate," Hillyer says.

The effort in Iraq had to overcome a violent history, that started when Saddam Hussein's son took over the country's athletics.

"If they were not successful in competition, most often times he would rape the girls and women," Hillyer says.

But the players on the team visiting the U.S. represent their country's future. Pat Summitt said she hopes they will take what they learn here back home to empower others.

"They know there is a chance out there for you to be in sports and be successful and be strong. I always talk to our players about being strong young women and we want them to feel the same," Summitt says.

Before coming to Knoxville, the Iraqi team visited Washington, D.C., and saw a WNBA team in action.