The sports halls and cafés that once rang with shouts and laughter are falling silent in Darbandikhan, a town in southern Sulaimani province that, like many other areas of the Kurdistan Region, has seen large numbers of its youth taking risky journeys to emigrate to Europe.
Darbandikhan’s sports club lost six players this year and more than 20 players from its amateur teams have left for Europe, according to club vice president Abdullah Mohammed.
“Players from different teams of the club have emigrated including basketball, volleyball, and martial art teams,” he said. “Definitely, we’re worried that other players may leave. As for the fans, they don't attend as much as they used to.”
This video was filmed on November 14, 2021.
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