Sports has been one of the few things unifying Iraqis in recent years -- with soccer victories bringing Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds alike into the streets cheering.

But a bitter fight between the government and the country's Olympic committee and sports federations is putting Iraq at risk of being banned from World Cup qualifying matches and this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.

The feud is mired in politics. The government accuses the National Olympic Committee of corruption, while supporters of the group charge that officials really want to control the independent sports groups so they can install their own people in lucrative and prestigious posts.