- Title: Soccer-crazed youth in Iraq etch faces of football stars into hair
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: HADI WHILE SHAVING CUSTOMER'S HEAD HADI WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) BARBER, MARWAN HADI, SAYING: "I hope that one day I could sign a contract with one of the European clubs to be a barber for the players. I wish I could get a visa to Spain so that I can attend a game between clubs and present my talent to fans there." RONALDO'S FACE ON MOHAMMED'S HEAD VARIOUS OF MOHAMMED WATCHING SOCCER GAME WITH YOUTH AT CAFE (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) CUSTOMER, BALAND MOHAMMED, SAYING: "Football is a hobby of mine, I love watching Real Madrid matches in particular, and I love Ronaldo very much. I wish to meet him one day, and this is why I came to this salon. I asked the barber to draw him on my head because I'm a fan. Yes the process takes at least two hours all the while I am sitting on a chair, but it does not matter because my wish came true." HADI CUTTING HAIR OF CHILD, BALIN MAJEED HADI ETCHING PICTURE OF REAL MADRID SOCCER PLAYER, GARETH BALE, IN MAJEED'S HAIR
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 10:58
- Keywords: Iraqi barber football fans soccer fans stars portraits
- Location: HALABJA, IRAQ
- City: HALABJA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA003AU4V2VT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With just a pair of scissors and hair clippers, barber Marwan Hadi etches the faces of famous soccer players as haircuts for daring youth in the Kurdish town of Halabja.
Hadi, 28, started the drawings around four months ago and said youth from across the city have since converged on his small shop to get their hair styled by him.
Many children and young adults ask for Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo or Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, Hadi said.
The barber, who graduated from the institute of fine arts, put his artistic skill to the test in his portraits as he carefully works on every detail in the picture.
But the stylish haircuts can be pricey and time-consuming, with Hadi charging up to $50 (59,670 Iraqi dinars) for a drawing and often taking up to two hours to complete it.
Hadi much like his customers hopes he could one day watch a live match between two Spanish clubs and be able to share his talent with European fans.
(Production: Saman Mahmood, Maher Nezeh, Mohammed Katfan, Jayson Mansaray) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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