Development of Basketball in Iraq Based on the Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
Keywords:
basketball development; strategic planning; SWOT analysis; elite sport policy; talent identification; sport governance; IraqAbstract
This study identified and prioritized the internal and external factors affecting basketball development in Iraq, determined its strategic position, and formulated context-appropriate development strategies. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. Documentary review, in-depth expert interviews, and a Delphi process were employed to identify the proposed vision, mission, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A researcher-developed questionnaire was then administered to managers, specialists, basketball development and talent-identification experts, and sport-science faculty members. Data from 134 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t tests against the theoretical midpoint of 3, Friedman tests, and SWOT internal-external evaluation. Content validity was assessed using expert judgment and the content validity ratio. The final framework included 11 strengths, 11 weaknesses, 10 opportunities, and 10 threats. The main strengths were adequate basic facilities, continuous club activity across provinces, and the potential to establish specialized academies. The main weaknesses were the absence of a coherent strategic plan, inadequate support for elite players and coaches, limited budgets, and a fragmented talent pathway. Young people's interest in basketball was the leading opportunity, whereas rising equipment and maintenance costs, short-term managerial decision making, and economic pressure were major threats. The internal-external evaluation placed Iraqi basketball in the strength-threat position. Iraqi basketball possesses meaningful internal capacity but requires stronger coordination, strategic continuity, standardized talent development, stable financing, and performance monitoring. The proposed strategies should be treated as a context-specific planning framework derived from expert judgments rather than as evidence of causal effectiveness.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmed Hamzah Chichan Jooqaly (Author); Nasrin Azizian Kohan; Mehrdad Moharramzadeh, Farzad Nobakht (Author)
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