IOC expands on reasons for Iraq ban

The IOC has offered some details about its decision to permanently ban the Iraqi Olympic team from competing at the Beijing Games. Iraq had qualified two rowers, two sprinters, one archer, one weightlifter and one judo competitor.

IOC officials said in a statement that they "would like to see Iraqi athletes in Beijing" but were "disappointed that 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."

On June 4, the IOC temporarily suspended the Iraqi National Olympic Committee after the government created a new committee that is chaired by its own minister of sport. The IOC has refused to recognize that committee or its decisions.

Earlier today, the IOC made that ban permanent. The IOC based its decision on a charter clause that requires it to suspend a national Olympic committee if “any governmental body…causes the activity of the NOC…to be hampered.”

The IOC also said that the Iraqi government "did not positively respond" to an invitation to go to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, to "discuss possible remedies."

The IOC noted that the Olympic Movement has "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."

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: An Iraqi guard stands at the entrance of the Iraqi Olympic Committee office in Baghdad on May 27. Credit: Hadi Mizban / Associated Press

Comments

[Andrew]

Sickening, just sickening. Seems like an exception could be made here. Iraq has been dealing with another, more important issue than the IOC's rulebook (you know...war).

If the IOC is truly trying to be apolitical with its games, then they should make an exception here...seeing that they are OK with the games being held in a country with a horrendous human rights record, they should be OK with a country changing it's committee at the last minute due to kidnappings and war.

[marita noble]

This is totally unfair! The games are supposed to be about the athletes, not politics. Incidently, the chinese aren't exactly lily white when it comes to their government policies. The Iraqi people deserve to see their athletes at the games.

[dgk]

Martina,

It is exactly to be apolitical that the IOC is barring the Iraqis because of political meddling from the Iraqi government. To not bar them is to encourage political interference with the sports.

This action is in keeping with their stated goal. We don't want to give every petty government official the cover to say "we have turmoil, therefore my buddy gets to pick our team."