SA Footy

Dogwatcher wrote:They can blame their government.

FIFA also had the same issues with Iraq in soccer.
It would seem the IOC is going much more hard line on this than FIFA.

MightyEagles wrote:But what about the Athletes from Iraq who want to compete for their country?

JAS wrote:There was a news report here last week about the Iraq Olympic team...a follow up of this earlier story...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle ... 450492.stm

If ever a team deserved the chance to take part. As well as the politics the report said that a female member of the team now has to train in the Kurdish north because insurgents in Baghdad were taking pot-shots at her during training. Two other team members were kidnapped and murdered by insurgents and the others risk the same every day.

It'll be so unfair if the IOC doesn't get this sorted out. Can't be many teams that take such risks for their sport Good luck to them.

Regards
JAS

24 July 2008
Despite the best efforts of the International Olympic Committee, it seems very unlikely that any Iraqi athlete will compete at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The IOC would like to see Iraq’s athletes in Beijing, and is disappointed they have been so ill-served by their own government’s actions. The deadline for taking up places for Beijing for all sports except athletics has now passed and as a result we must now reallocate a number of Iraq’s qualified or invited quota places.

The IOC’s executive board temporarily suspended the Iraqi National Olympic Committee on 4th June 2008, after the Iraqi Government dismissed the legitimate NOC and installed a new committee, chaired by its own Minister of Sport, which the IOC does not recognise.

The Olympic Charter forbids political interference in the Olympic Movement. Rule 28(9) of the Charter provides for the suspension of an NOC in the event that: “any governmental body…causes the activity of the NOC…to be hampered.”

The Iraqi government was invited to come to Lausanne to discuss possible remedies, but did not positively respond to the IOC’s invitation.

Over the last five years, the IOC and the wider Olympic family have provided funding and training opportunities to support the Iraqi NOC and more than 50 Iraqi athletes and coaches. The Iraqi government’s actions have destroyed this progress.

The IOC will continue to search for ways to help Iraqi athletes and support the role of sports in a safe and peaceful Iraq.

Mr66 wrote:They kick Iraq out of the games but give China the games.
How do you spell gutless hypocrisy?
J-A-C-Q-U-E-S-R-O-G-G

Iraqi Officials To Meet With IOC Over Athletes’ Ban


Iraq’s sports minister Jassem Jaffar reportedly called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reverse its decision to ban Iraq’s athletes from next month’s Beijing Games. Jaffar said, “we are trying our best to lift the suspension imposed by the International Olympic Committee and we hope that we can have a prosperous meeting with them as soon as possible.

“The Iraqi government is trying to convince the International Olympic Committee to change their decision and lift the suspension so that our athletes can take part in the Olympic Games, he said. The Prime Minister has set a project to lift the suspension and hopefully we will meet the officials of the International Olympic Committee soon to discuss this issue”.

The Iraq Olympic Committee released a statement Sunday which read, “we received the unfortunate decision of the International Olympic Committee to suspend Iraq and the Iraqi athletes from taking part in the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 with great sorrow. We want to uncover the truth and clear our responsibility in front of all the officials and the sports fans as this decision is the responsibility of the Iraq Youth and Sports Ministry”.

An Iraqi delegation went to Switzerland Saturday for talks with the IOC over the ban and will meet with IOC representatives Monday in Lausanne, said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies. She said the Iraqis have offered the IOC “productive signals” that could allow two athletes from the original seven-member team to compete in Beijing, but did not elaborate, reports the Associated Press.

Friday IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said the deadline to finalize athletics competitions is Wednesday, and Iraq can field a partial team if the government reverses its decision.

According to the Associated Press, two members of Iraq’s Olympic team – a discus thrower and a sprinter – could still make it into the Olympics but the deadline for the other teams members has already expired. Iraq had hoped its athletes could also compete in weightlifting, judo, archery and rowing.

Iraqi Athletes To Compete at Beijing Olympics


International Olympic Committee Brokers Agreement with Iraqi Government

Lausanne, Switzerland – An agreement between the Iraqi government and the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday clears the way for Iraqi participation in the Olympic Games in Beijing.

In a productive meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, the IOC and the Government of Iraq agreed on a series of steps that will lead to a fully functioning, independent National Olympic Committee in Iraq. The agreement re-establishes the independent NOC of Iraq which will be allowed to take part in the Beijing Games.

Iraqi athletes will compete in Beijing under the Iraqi flag, led by coaches and team leaders selected by the independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee. Five government representatives will be invited by the IOC as observers to the Games in Beijing. The agreement also calls for the transparent and fair election of a new, independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee, no later than the end of November 2008. This process will be overseen by the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia and will be held in cooperation with the Government of Iraq, and in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

“I commend the government of Iraq for reaching an agreement that serves the long-term interest of Iraqi athletes,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said. “We have said all along that we want to see Iraqi athletes in Beijing.”

The IOC helped establish an independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee in February 2004, and has provided substantial financial support and other assistance to Iraqi athletes. In May this year, the Iraqi government sought to disband the independent NOC and replace it with one headed by a government official - a clear violation of the Olympic Charter regarding government interference.

The IOC responded on 4 June by suspending the government-imposed committee. The IOC urged Iraqi officials to resolve the matter and issued an open invitation for a meeting in Lausanne.

The deadline for competitors entering the Beijing Olympic Games for all events except athletics passed on 23 July. As a result, the slots for five Iraqi athletes have been redistributed, but two Iraqi athletics competitors will have the opportunity to compete in Beijing.

“We look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing,” Rogge said

Iraq are to send two athletes, a discus thrower and a sprinter, to the Games.

Five other athletes lost their chance to go when the final date to select competitors for archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting passed last week.