SYRIA - OLYMPICS 2012: The head of Syria's National Olympic Committee, General Mowaffak Joumaa, criticises Britain's ban from letting him attend next month's Games in London, calling it a "violation of the Olympics pact".

Record ID: 281116

  • Title: SYRIA - OLYMPICS 2012: The head of Syria's National Olympic Committee, General Mowaffak Joumaa, criticises Britain's ban from letting him attend next month's Games in London, calling it a "violation of the Olympics pact".
  • Date: 25th June 2012
  • Summary: TROPHY WITH WRITING READING: "SYRIAN OLYMPICS COMMITTEE"
  • Embargoed: 10th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVACEOODI98IGJD8TZN69PHSFGEE
  • Story Text: The head of Syria's National Olympic Committee, General Mowaffak Joumaa, criticised on Sunday (June 24) Britain's refusal to issue him a visa to travel to London for next month's Games in London, as reported by the BBC on Friday (June 22), calling it a violation of the Olympics pact.
    Mowaffak is regarded as a close friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been strongly criticised by the British government and other Western and Arab nations for a crackdown on an opposition movement seeking his overthrow.
    "Sure, this is a violation of the Olympics pact that calls on the separation of politics from sport. Sport is the culture of acquaintance, peace, love and the slogan of friendship via sport. It is an honour to be a friend of Mr. President (Bashar al-Assad) just like it is for all the Syrian people who love their country," Joumaa said during an interview at his office in the Syrian Sport Union building in Damascus.
    "If this is the culture of democracy, let it be and I will not ask for anything. It is any state's right to ban anyone to enter its lands but the Olympics pact would not allow any host state not to respect it. It is the UK's right to prevent anyone who is travel banned by the European Union but I am not banned and I work under the umbrella of the international committee of the Olympics and the Syrian Olympics committee," he added.
    Syria was expected to send four or five officials to the Olympics, including Joumaa, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) official has said.
    However, pressure had mounted over Joumaa's attendance to the Olympic Games, when Syrian opposition activists had urged Britain to ban him.
    British Prime Minister David Cameron said in March any of the country's officials covered by a European Union travel ban would not be welcome. He also said there would be no ban against Syrian athletes taking part.
    Ten athletes are expected to qualify, mainly in athletics and swimming, and they will march into the stadium under the Syrian flag, said Joumaa, adding that the team would not take part in the Olympics under any other flag.
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