BAGHDAD: Amid the cheers and rhythm of drums, Iraqis aren’t watching football but celebrating a centuries-old tradition—mheibes.
Played during Ramadan, the game sees one team hide a ring, and the opposing captain must guess who has it within 10 minutes.
Mheibes, dating back to the 16th century, unites Iraqis across sects and regions. Jassem al-Aswad, a veteran champion and president of the national federation, sees the game as a cherished heritage that thrives despite decades of conflict.
In a recent match, over 500 fans packed the stands as teams from Kadhimiya and Nasiriyah, along with Al-Mashtal and Basra, competed.
As players huddled under blankets to conceal the ring, rival captains read facial expressions to make their guesses. When the first team failed, the crowd erupted in joy as the second team scored.
“Iraqis love football, but mheibes is close second,” said Kadhimiya captain Baqer al-Kazimi. Despite the violence of sectarian war, Kazimi and others played during the darkest years, even organizing games on a bridge that divided Sunni and Shiite neighbourhoods. With nearly 400 teams across the country, the game remains a passion, and Aswad envisions taking it global, just as Brazil did with football. “We will spread mheibes worldwide,” he said. – AFP
