Shafaq News-Baghdad
The IraqiNational Olympic Committee on Thursday denied reports that its financialsecretary, Sarmad Abdul-Ilah, had been handed a lifetime ban from allaquatics-related activity over harassment and abuse violations, describing thedocument circulated on social media as a forgery.
In astatement, the committee said it had received an official letter from RaymondHaak, chair of the Aquatics Integrity Unit at World Aquatics, categoricallyrefuting the claims and confirming that his panel had issued no decisionwhatsoever against Abdul-Ilah.
Abdul-Ilahsaid Thursday he intends to pursue all available legal remedies, at both thedomestic and international level, against the party or parties responsible forforging and disseminating the alleged ruling.
The documenthad circulated on Wednesday, purportedly issued by the Aquatics Integrity Unit(AQIU), and claimed Abdul-Ilah had been banned for life from aquaticsactivities following a finding of harassment, abuse, and integrity violations. Abdul-Ilah currently serves as financial secretary of the Iraqi NationalOlympic Committee and is a candidate for the position of first deputy of theIraqi Football Association.
The IraqiSports Disputes Court ruled in January 2026 to reinstate Abdul-Ilah aspresident of the Iraqi Swimming Federation, a decision that drew objectionsfrom within Iraqi sports circles at the time.
Abdul-Ilahwas provisionally suspended in 2020 based on the same complaint before beingcleared on grounds of insufficient evidence.