Iraqi rowers training with US team for Asian Games

PRINCETON, New Jersey — Rowing on peaceful Lake Carnegie and worrying about nothing but proper strokes is a nice change for Haidar Nozad. At home in Iraq, Nozad and his teammates face roadblocks or a military presence on their way to the Tigris River. Some days, they don't even make it to the river. Soldiers tell them: Turn around, go home, try again tomorrow. On a leisurely Tuesday morning, all Nozad had to think about was improving his technique. He slept well in a hotel, ate breakfast and had his car waiting for him at the Princeton University boathouse. "Here, you have time," Nozad said. "There's nothing to make you delayed. You are on time for training. You are safe here. You can do whatever you want." Nozad is part of a group of six Iraqi rowers and two coaches training with the United States team. The Iraqi rowers will train in Boston, Princeton and Cincinnati to prepare for the Asian Games in November in Guangzhou, China. Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur competed in the men's double sculls at the 2008 Beijing Games. Nozad carried his country's flag in China, and he wants to lead the rest of his teammates to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The scullers realize their medal prospects are dim because of the difficulties of training in their war-ravaged country. Nozad, who spoke the best English among the rowers, said fear of violence and war are part of life. "For us, it's normal life," he said. "Seven years like that. "When the situation is bad, we can't go out. It's not like gym(nastics). You can train inside." Their dedication at pursuing their passion impressed Jake Cornelius, who will represent the U.S. team at the world rowing championships in New Zealand this month. "I guess I was surprised they were training at all, to be honest," Cornelius said. "You think, if I were in Iraq, I don't know that rowing would be my top priority. But upon reflection, and thinking about what these guys have done and how important it is to them, you sort of think they're living their life." The Iraqi team arrived in New Jersey on Monday and bonded over dinner with the American team. "It's an inspiration for us," Cornelius said. "We think, it's 5:30 in the morning, and it's cold. We complain about it all, but it's not that bad. The reason we do it is because we really want to compete. And that's the reason they're doing it, too." The Iraqi rowers are making three stops to ease the financial burden of each hosting club. Limited sightseeing is planned — they're here to practice, not tour. Their families did have one request. "They said buy some iPhones for us," Nozad said smiling. "At our home, it's about $800, $900 dollars. Here, maybe it's a little bit cheaper." The idea for the joint training started in April when a former rower and Bruce Smith, a U.S. team coach and executive director of Boston's Community Rowing, traveled to Lake Dokan in northern Iraq. They met with the Iraqi Rowing Federation and hoped the exchange would begin a long-term effort to establish rowing in Iraq and promote the spirit of the Olympic movement. None of the Iraqi rowers were eager to talk about the United States-led invasion of Iraq or what might happen in the future. "We are nice people," Nozad said. "I hope they know we are like them. We have our college, we have our jobs. ... Some people think Iraq is damaged, it's nothing. There's a war, no people. They're afraid of Iraqis, but we're very nice people." Smith said plans are under way to start a rowing club in Lake Dokan that would become a training destination for rowers in the Middle East. He said he was told it was too dangerous to start one in Baghdad. This week the Iraqis are rowing for about two hours both in the early morning and evening, plus a two-hour workout each afternoon. "They need to develop their aerobic capacity and their technical skill, how to move about a boat without slowing it down," Smith said. His goal is to help the Iraqis place in the top half of their events. "It is difficult, you know?" Nozad said. "But we will try and do our best. It's not easy." – AP