UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS 2012 - Ramadan begins and Muslim athletes must decide whether to fast during Olympics

Record ID: 330927

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS 2012 - Ramadan begins and Muslim athletes must decide whether to fast during Olympics
  • Date: 21st July 2012
  • Summary: FILE (RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SAUDI ATHLETES SEATED AROUND TABLE WITH BRITISH AMBASSADOR SIR TOM PHILLIPS AT HIS HOME
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA49OSYBKAHTDKFDE5MEW7T6PL6
  • Story Text: Ramadan began on Friday (July 20) creating a dilemma for around 3,000 Muslim competitors at the London Olympics, which start on July 27.
    It is a time when Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. While many Muslim competitors may well honour the holy month, some say they have made other arrangements and will defer their fasts until a later date.
    Medical experts say that, theoretically at least, a reduction of food intake during Ramadan could deplete an athlete's liver and muscle glycogen stores. This is likely to lead to a drop in performance, particularly in sports requiring muscle strength.
    Salman Farsi, Media Co-ordinator of East London Mosque , explained the dilemma: "It does pose a particularly difficult question towards Muslim athletes who are competing in the Olympic games because, on one hand, you know, they, they are, you know, required to fast during the month of Ramadan and on the other hand they have to compete in the games and keep their strength up to compete in the games. So that's the dilemma that faces them. So I guess it comes down to an individual choice for the, for the athlete, end of the day: whether they want to fast or whether they want to compete in the, in the, in the Olympics.
    "But I'm sure that many of the three-and-a-half thousand Muslim athletes that are competing have already checked with relevant scholars in order, you know, what's best to do for them in the situation that they face."
    Faced with the question of whether fasting would affect performance, the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) nutrition working group convened a meeting in 2009 to review the evidence.
    They came to the conclusion that Ramadan fasting could be problematic for some athletes in some sports, but the likely overall impact of on London 2012 is far from clear.
    Worshippers outside East London Mosque after prayers seemed to sympathise with those athletes who put fasting to one side during the games.
    Mohibchy Chaudry said: "Ramadan is something that very reasonable, it has to be reasonable. You are supposed to be passion for something, not -- you know -- feel bad. So for example, athletes, they can talk to their doctor and if it is bad for them to fast when they are playing, obviously they will take food and you know things like this. So it's very reasonable. I think it's not going to be problem at all."
    Naweeda said it was up to the athletes to decide for themselves.
    "That's their individual decision, whether or not they want to fast whilst they're participating in the games. That's something that they need to speak with, maybe, a local imam about and make a decision on that. But if they are up for it, then why not?" she said.
    Ramadan continues until Saturday August 18, six days after the Olympics closing ceremony.
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