World Lacrosse today welcomed Iraq as its 95th member and third new National Governing Body of 2025.
Iraq will be a part of the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union, which now holds 22 members. Overall, World Lacrosse has added 22 NGBs since the start of 2022.
World Lacrosse Director of Sport TJ Buchanan said: “We are delighted to welcome Iraq to our lacrosse community and to the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union, which continues to grow across many diverse regions. I want to thank the tireless efforts of those in Iraq to introduce our sport to new audiences and I look forward to watching Iraq in international competition soon.”
The APLU welcomes its second member in 2025 alongside Bangladesh. Iraq joins a growing contingent of Middle Eastern governing bodies alongside Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the APLU, which has developed membership bases across the various distinctive regions of the continent.
The Asian Lacrosse Games, set for their second edition in November in Saudi Arabia, specifically highlight competition opportunities for new regions within Asia.
The APLU has hosted back-to-back World Lacrosse junior championships: 2024 in Hong Kong, China, and in 2025 on Jeju Island in Korea, and is set to host the senior women’s and men’s championships in 2026 and 2027 in Japan.
