UNITED KINGDOM: CHRIS DE BROGLIO, SECRETARY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NON-RACIAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, SPEAKS ABOUT AFRICAN BOYCOTT OF OLYMPICS.
Record ID:
1061926
UNITED KINGDOM: CHRIS DE BROGLIO, SECRETARY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NON-RACIAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, SPEAKS ABOUT AFRICAN BOYCOTT OF OLYMPICS.
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: CHRIS DE BROGLIO, SECRETARY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NON-RACIAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, SPEAKS ABOUT AFRICAN BOYCOTT OF OLYMPICS.
- Date: 22nd July 1976
- Summary: 1. GV and CU: Chris de Broglio showing telegram to Julian and Anthony Brutus (2 shots) 0.18 2. SV and CU: Reporter Paul Toulmin-Rothe speaking to Broglio. 3.12 TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: TOULMIN-ROTHE: "Mr. de Broglio, it seems that no one knows the exact number, I don't think, but it seems at any rate that between 20 and 30 countries have now withdrawn from the Olympic Games because of the stand New Zealand. To what extent do you think the activities of SAN-ROC are ro??? for this?" DE BROGLIO: "Well it certainly seems important so far as going back a number of months or even a year or two. Since then, we have been advising the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa about this rugby tour due to take place and kept sending them documents making them aware of the fact that the tour was going to take place, that they were going to play with racist white team in South Africa. South African concern built up over the months and they made a lot of representations to the New Zealand government and found that after there was a change of government in New Zealand, the policy changed and the New Zealand government was not prepared to condemn the tour, you know, or ask the Rugby Union to cancel it. I think African anger gradually developed on this and it culminated in May when the Supreme council in nairobi, at an executive meeting, decided to call for a selective boycott of New Zealand athletes at the games. This was followed by a decision at a seminar in Havana of a Committee against apartheid of the United Nations which recommended such boycotts. Now, we were at the seminar and the President of the Supreme Council was there. We both agreed on the tactics together. It was afterwards discussed at the meeting of the Organisation of African Unity when the foreign ministers met in Mauritius and asked for a boycott. They went further. They said if New Zealand was at these games, Africa should withdraw. The final resolution of the Heads of State reduced thing to appropriate action being taken by African countries without ??? mandatory clause in the ??? This meant that each ??? was free to take it." TOULMIN-ROTHE: "Don't you think it's very sad for a lot of those African athletes some of whom worked for four years and even longer and some of them amy never have an opportunity against of competing in the Olympic games?" DE BROGLIO: "I think as African sportsmen, they, it's a dreadful thing to happen to as sportsman. But I think african sportsmen also have it clear in their mind how they reel about South Africa. And we have seen African sportsmen on television last night. They made it clear that they were happy the decision had been taken and they agreed with the decision of their government. I think that there is a big accumulation of anger from Africa to see that white countries in Europe, New Zealand and Australia are continuing these sports reactions with South Africa and if the western countries fee that there reactions with South Africa are more important than their relations with us, then we shouldn't be here. And I think this reflects the attitude of African sportsmen. SAN-ROC was formed in South Africa in 1962 to campaign against apartheid in sport. All seven members of the present executive committee are South african exiles and six of them were in Montreal where they held a press conference on the boycotting question on Monday (19 July). Initials RH/AB/AH/1706 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th August 1976 13:00
- Keywords:
- Access Restrictions:This media cannot be downloaded as there may be copyright restrictions. Please contact us for more information
- Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA9WQP9R4J5KXP60PRXDA078M8A
- Story Text:
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None