December 21, 2006 – Associated Press has reported that Iraq’s Olympic cycling coach, Mahoud Ahmed Fulayih, who was kidnapped by gunmen from his home, has been killed. Fulayih had just returned with Iraq’s cycling team from the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

The situation in Iraq is becoming more threatening as athletes and sports officials continue to be targets as political unrest between Shiites and Sunnis in the country deepens.

The report added that there has been a rash of such attacks including Hadib Majhoul, head of the Talaba club and member of the Iraqi Soccer Federation, who was recently seized and later killed. An Iraqi international soccer referee was also kidnapped and a ransom demanded. And in Baghdad, a popular soccer star and member of the Iraqi Olympic team was kidnapped in September.

During the summer, Iraq’s national soccer coach, Akram Ahmed Salman, resigned after receiving death threats including against his family. Ahmed al-Hijiya, the chairman of the National Olympic Committee, along with 30 other officials, was kidnapped in a raid on a sports conference in Baghdad during the day, and the group is still being held hostage.