\u201cIt\u2019s a heritage game, the game of our ancestors, which unites all Iraqis,\u201d says federation president
\n Baghdad
\nIn a Baghdad arena, a crowd cheers to the rhythm of drums, not for a football match but for a fiery centuries-old game enjoyed by Iraqis during Ramadan called \u201cmheibes\u201d.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a heritage game, the game of our ancestors, which unites all Iraqis,\u201d said Jassem al-Aswad, a longtime mheibes champion in his early seventies and now president of the game\u2019s national federation.
\nThe game involves members of one team hiding a ring \u2014 \u201cmehbis\u201d in Arabic \u2014 and the captain of the opposing team trying to guess who has it in the palm of his hand.
\nAnd he has to do so within 10 minutes.
\nPlayed during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the game first appeared as early as the 16th century in Ottoman-era Baghdad, according to Iraqi folklore expert Adel al-Ardawi.
\nMore than 500 fans and players gathered in the stands and on the field for two matches: the Baghdad neighbourhood of Kadhimiya against the southern city of Nasiriyah, and the capital\u2019s Al-Mashtal district versus a team from the port city of Basra.
\nEveryone watched as the 40 players on one team huddled together under a blanket to avoid prying eyes, and decided who would hide the \u201cmehbis\u201d or signet ring worn by many Iraqi men.
\nSitting on the ground or on chairs, the members of the team hiding the ring then adopted serious expressions. Some closed their eyes, while others crossed their arms or even clenched their fists.
\nThe rival team captain carefully read these facial expressions and body language to try and guess who had the ring \u2014 before pronouncing the verdict.
\nWhen the first team failed to guess correctly, the other team scored a point and the crowd went wild.
\n\u2018It\u2019s in our blood\u2019
\n\u201cIraqis love football the most, but mheibes comes a close second. It\u2019s in our blood,\u201d Kadhimiya captain Baqer al-Kazimi told AFP.
\nThe clean-shaven 51-year-old, who wears a black robe called a jellaba, said he inherited his love of the game from his father.
\nThough mheibes was impacted during decades of conflict, including at the peak of war between 2006 and 2008 marked by suicide attacks and kidnappings, Kazimi said he and others continued playing even during those dark years.
\nHe said that only the coronavirus pandemic forced players to put their hobby on hold.
\nHe recalled one game between players from the neighbourhood of Adhamiya and those from Kadhimiya.
\nThe two districts were separated by a bridge that had been closed for years because of the violence.
\nAhmed Maala from Basra recalled a game with a team from Baghdad that lasted all night.
\n\u201cI learned the game by playing with friends and family,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cMheibes will go down in history for its very large fan base throughout Iraq.\u201d
\nPassion for the game runs so deep that sometimes arguments erupt among players, even escalating into physical violence.
\nIn a country with nearly 400 teams, annual competitions see players from across the nation competing against each other, with 10 teams qualifying in Baghdad alone to represent the city\u2019s different neighbourhoods.
\nMheibes champion Aswad said he hopes the game will one day expand beyond Iraq\u2019s borders.
\n\u201cJust as Brazil popularised football, we will transmit this game to the whole world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt\u2019s a heritage game, the game of our ancestors, which unites all Iraqis,\u201d says federation president Baghdad In a Baghdad arena, a crowd cheers to the rhythm of drums, not for a football match but for a fiery centuries-old game enjoyed by Iraqis during Ramadan called \u201cmheibes\u201d. \u201cIt\u2019s a heritage game, the game of our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-468824","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n