They looted state-owned properties..Houthis destroyed prestigious sports clubs in Ibb
English - Tuesday 15 November 2022 الساعة 02:48 pm
Ibb, NewsYemen, private:
The Houthi militia, the Iranian arm in Yemen, has seized real estate and land owned by state endowments in Ibb Governorate (in the center of the country), including sports clubs.
Houthi looting of state real estate affected the Ibb Union Club, the second largest club in the governorate, following the appointment of the Houthi leader (Bandar al-Asal), who comes from Amran governorate, to the position of director of the endowment office in Ibb.
In conjunction with the looting of many of the lands of the Public Endowment, the leaders of the Houthi militia worked to raise the rental costs of other properties in the same governorate, which citizens have rented with official contracts, for decades, according to the law.
looting clubs
The Houthi militia was not satisfied with looting the financial allocations for sports clubs in Ibb governorate from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as it carried out a massive robbery of sports facilities and club properties, in addition to seizing the teams' self-financing sources.
In this context,( H M A), a fan of Al-Ittihad Club in Ibb, stated that he had recently visited the club and was surprised that its surroundings had turned into a livestock forest.
He said that the Houthi militia is practicing a systematic process of destroying sports clubs in the governorate, in favor of the sectarian, sectarian and military activities it is carrying out.
Meanwhile, a sports official in Ibb told NewsYemen that the Houthis were not satisfied with cutting government funds for sports teams, but rather looted their lands and properties, blaming the Houthi local authority with full responsibility.
The decline of the role of clubs
For more than two decades, especially since 1990, Al-Shaab and Al-Ittihad clubs have been a symbol of a governorate teeming with extraordinary sports fans. It was said about her one day: “If the People’s Club played in the Empty Quarter, it would have found supporters and an audience with it.” Because of what he enjoyed from the presence and audience and wide.
However, the Houthi organized destruction of sports made the two clubs lose the momentum of attendance and embrace hundreds of young talents that support the national team and the sports movement in general.
Throughout the history of Yemeni football, Al-Sahrani, Al-Bareed, Ashour, Ibrahim Al-Sabahi, Al-Nazili, Al-Gharbani, Dammaj, Abdash, Al-Hubaishi, Akram Al-Warafi and others were among the most important stars before the Iranian militia took control of the governorate.
Late last year 2021, the two clubs appeared pitifully, as they received many defeats and declined in level as a result of neglect, lack of interest and lack of sufficient support, which led to the creation of widespread resentment among its fans.
Arrests of athletes
In the year 2021, ittihad Ibb club players were surprised when a group of armed men stormed the stadium during training and kidnapped one of the club’s first-class players in a new violation against Yemeni sports clubs that had not happened before.
The storming at that time was led by supervisor Yasser Hassan Omar, during the preparation exercises for the General Football League, and fired indiscriminately before kidnapping Ashraf Al-Abahi from among his colleagues on the pretext that there was a case against him.
The Director of the Endowment Office Bandar Al-Asal, who was appointed by the Houthi militia for one mission, which is property and land sources, had previously arrested the great star Ahmed Al-Bareed in a systematic campaign without regard to documents and references.
The arrest of the national team player and the creative personality was defective, and it came against the background of his demand to lift the hands of Iran’s arm from the sports facilities and his refusal to sign some documents, and he was only released through personal mediation in a clear and flagrant defiance.
Systematic destruction of facilities
The Director of Endowments was not satisfied with that, as he had previously looted lands belonging to the Shaab Ibb Club, one of the most famous clubs, and rented them in violation of all laws and regulations, bypassing all the powers of the local council and the governorate leadership, and stated that the club had usurped this land.
Despite the club’s management claiming the competent authorities that what applies to the Republic’s clubs applies to them, the director of endowments categorically refused this and also rejected the ruling of the competent court, which directed to keep everything as it is.
A group of athletes accused the Houthi militia of being behind this systematic approach and abuse, led by Bandar al-Asal, director of the Endowment Office, aimed at destroying and targeting sports facilities amid the silence and inaction of the local authority.
Youth office negative role
Ibb clubs suffer from the inaction of the local authority appointed by the Houthis, despite the huge revenues. The director of the Youth and Sports Office, Ibrahim al-Masawi, devotes his full energy to sectarian activities that have nothing to do with sports but rather with the Houthi legislator.
And a journalist had previously demanded in 2019 to stop tampering with the lands of the “Sports City” after renting part of it a playground, and another part a private swimming pool, cars and markets, and a “bulb” of the stadium was taken and rented at random.
Pointing out that the day will come when young people and athletes will not find a place to play, which is the facility that has been waiting for 20 years.
The other thing is that there is a clear manipulation of these capabilities and the looting of rents that are supposed to be transferred to the treasury of clubs for the establishment of sports activities and events.
Today, Al-Kibsi Stadium has turned into a rainwater-soaked pool. It has not been maintained for years, although it was an international stadium, the first in the governorate.
The sports movement inside the governorate is witnessing a significant decline and an unprecedented absence, as a result of the Houthi authorities’ preoccupation with sectarian events, amid grumblings from young people, youth and citizens who are fans of Al-Shaab and Al-Ittihad Clubs, who were traveling to support them to every spot and city.
