Foresight Study on the Development of Weightlifting in Iraq: Key Drivers Identified through Cross-Impact Analysis

This study investigates the primary factors influencing the growth of weightlifting in Iraq, emphasizing the identification of significant challenges and opportunities within the sport. the research utilizes a foresight methodology, integrating Delphi and MICMAC cross-impact analysis to identify ۲۰ essential drivers within political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal spheres. A purposive panel of ۱۵ experts comprising sport management professionals, national and international level weightlifting coaches, academic specialists in sport development, and governance members of the Iraqi Weightlifting Federation and National Olympic Committee participated in the three-round Delphi process. the findings reveal that the evolution of weightlifting is influenced by a multifaceted interaction political endorsement, economic assets, social perceptions, and legal structures, all of which either facilitate or obstruct advancement. Political factors like provincial autonomy and support for grassroots clubs, legal frameworks for coaching standards, and anti-doping rules were important, as were economic factors like the ability to get different kinds of funding and sponsorship. The study emphasizes the necessity cultivating affirmative cultural perceptions weightlifting and enhancing community involvement, especially among youth and women, to boost participation. Moreover, technological advancements, such as the digitalization of talent identification, were identified as having a significant yet supportive impact on the sport's development, which is heavily reliant on the underlying political and social frameworks. by making explicit the interplay among political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal forces, this study offers both a conceptual map and a practical agenda for those seeking to guide the sport toward a more sustainable and inclusive future

کلیدواژه ها:

Foresight ، Iraq ، Sport Development ، Weightlifting