GREECE: OLYMPICS- International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it hopes to resolve Iraq issue before Beijing

Record ID: 329772

  • Title: GREECE: OLYMPICS- International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it hopes to resolve Iraq issue before Beijing
  • Date: 6th June 2008
  • Summary: (MER-2) ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 05, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING (2 SHOTS) IOC PRESIDENT JACQUES ROGGE CHAIRING MEETING VARIOUS OF IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS GATHERED AT MEETING (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: International Relations,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEM1T4CVQ8ZOOIOX0UWTE86R5R
  • Story Text: International Olympic Committee communications Director Gizelle Davies says the IOC hopes to resolve issues with Iraq before the Beijing Olympics. The IOC had said in a previous statement that the Iraqi National Olympic Committee was provisionally suspended because of government interference.
    The International Olympic Committee said in a statement late on Wednesday (June 04) it had provisionally suspended the Iraqi National Olympic Committee because of government interference, putting Iraq's presence at the Beijing Games at risk.
    "Clearly the Olympic games are not far away and the hope and aim would be to resolve the matter as quickly as possible," said IOC Communications Director Giselle Davies during a news conference in Athens on Thursday (June 05).
    "We very much hope to find a resolution. This is a point of principle, to not have political interference in the National Olympic Committee. And we need to move forward to implement that point of principle.
    And we do so hopeful to resolve it," she added.
    The executive board started its three-day meeting in Athens on Wednesday.
    The Iraqi government had said the committee was illegitimate because it lacked a quorum and had failed to hold new elections.
    The IOC, which had urged the government last week to reinstate the old NOC, said it would invite government authorities for talks to find a solution.
    Davies said the IOC was waiting to see if there had been a response to the offer for talks.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register