Athletes from Iraq have been banned from taking part at this summer's Beijing Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced. The team was already the subject of an interim ban after the Iraqi government replaced the country's Olympic committee with its own appointees. Under the IOC charter, all committees must be free of political influence. Iraq had been planning to send a team of at least seven athletes to the Olympics which start on 8 August. Two rowers, a weightlifter, a sprinter, a discus thrower, a judoka and an archer were in the frame for the trip to Beijing. "The deadline for taking up places for Beijing for all sports except athletics has now passed," said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies. "The IOC very sadly has now to acknowledge that it is likely there will be no Iraqi presence at the Beijing Olympic Games, despite our best efforts." She added: "Clearly, we'd very much like to have seen Iraq's athletes in Beijing. "We are very disappointed that the athletes have been so ill-served by their own government's actions." The four Iraqi athletes that qualified could have competed under the Olympic flag BBC Radio 5 Live's Gordon Farquhar Hussein al-Amidi, the general secretary of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, said: "This morning we were informed of the final decision of the International Olympic Committee to suspend the membership of the Iraqi Olympic Committee. "It's a final decision, there is no way to appeal. This means that Iraq will not take part in the coming Olympic games. "It is a blow to Iraq and its international reputation, its athletes and its youth. "I swear those athletes who have been training - they phoned me today and they were crying and were very upset." The Iraq government dissolved the National Olympic Committee in May and the interim IOC ban was put in place on 4 June. Davies added that the Iraqi government had been asked to travel to Switzerland to meet the IOC to discuss possible remedies but failed to do so. The committee which the government dismissed was elected in 2004, in line with the Olympic movement's regulations. The Iraqi government said it took the decision to appoint a new committee because the previous one was corrupt and had not been functioning properly. Ahmad al-Samarra'i, chairman of the committee dismissed by the government, and several other members had previously been abducted by gunmen while attending a meeting in central Baghdad in July 2006. They have not been seen since. Story from BBC SPORT: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/olympics/7523708.stm
Yet but again with politics. I feel sorry for those athletes who trained for their life but not able to compete for their dreams and pride.
Heard the news... ..that the Iraqis are protesting over the decision...Yeah, IMO, IOC should let the 4 athletes compete. Too bad, too much politicking got in the way.
Good news... ..just saw a news mentioning that the Iraqi athletes will be able to compete after all. Wise decision on all parties involved in the compromise. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080729/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_olympics ========================================================== Olympic panel ends ban, says Iraq can go to games By FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee ruled Tuesday that Iraq could participate in the Beijing games, reversing itself after Baghdad pledged to ensure the independence of its national Olympics panel. The decision followed last-minute talks between Iraqi officials and the IOC ahead of Wednesday's deadline to submit competitors' names for track and field events. The Olympics begin Aug. 8. Iraq's National Olympic Committee was dissolved by the Baghdad government in May, prompting the IOC to suspend the Mideast country from the Olympics for political interference. The IOC had insisted the old committee be reinstated even though four members were kidnapped two years ago. Their fates remain unknown. A compromise was worked out after mediators from Germany and China became involved in talks, and Iraq pledged to hold free elections for its national Olympic committee under international observation. Iraq is expected to send two athletes to Beijing to compete in track and field events. The decision came too late for five other hopefuls in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting. The deadline to submit names for those sports expired last week. "The National Olympic Committee will have fair elections before the end of November," said Pere Miro, head of the IOC's department for relations with national Olympic committees. In the meantime Iraq's Olympic organization will be run by an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC, he said. "We want to forget all the past," Iraq's government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told The Associated Press after signing the agreement at a news conference. "We want to have real representation for the Iraqi teams and the Iraqi supporters." The breakthrough came after eight hours of talks Tuesday at the IOC's headquarters in Lausanne involving Miro and Husain al-Musallam, director-general of the Olympic Council of Asia. Hours before the talks, a delegation of Iraqi groups in Switzerland came to IOC headquarters to deliver a letter to Olympic officials expressing dismay at their country's suspension and requesting the decision be overturned. The IOC last suspended Iraq in May 2003 — weeks after U.S.-led troops toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. That ban occurred after the IOC learned of the abuse of athletes by Saddam's son Uday, the country's former Olympic chief. The suspension was lifted a year later, allowing Iraq to take part in the 2004 Summer Games in Athens where it fielded 25 athletes. Iraq's soccer team made it to the semifinals, prompting celebrations throughout a country where sports fans have had little to cheer about in recent years as the war claimed the lives of athletes, coaches and staff. The Olympic cycling coach, national wrestling coach, a soccer federation member and a prominent volleyball player have been killed, most in 2006 during the height of sectarian slayings. The two athletes who will represent Iraq at Beijing have benefited from an IOC solidarity program that allowed them to train at sports facilities abroad, IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said. Although the duo failed to meet the qualifications to go to Beijing, they were allowed to take part under the IOC's wild card scheme designed to ensure every country is represented at the games. The fact that they are unlikely to add to Iraq's overall tally of one bronze medal since its first appearance at the Summer Olympics in 1948 is of no great concern, said al-Dabbagh. "Sport is really important for us in Iraq right now," he said. "It brings the people together."
yeah..Iraq had already gets the GREEN LIGHT Iraq get green light for Beijing The International Olympic Committee has cleared the way for Iraq to compete in the Beijing Olympics after lifting its previous ban. Iraq were banned last week following their government's decision to disband its National Olympic Committee, a move that angered the IOC. But that decision was reversed on Tuesday when the government pledged to ensure the NOC's independence. Iraq are to send two athletes, a discus thrower and a sprinter, to the Games. Five other athletes lost their chance to go when the final date to select competitors for archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting passed last week. The decision to lift their ban follows last-minute talks between Iraqi officials and the IOC in Lausanne. "An agreement between the Iraqi government and the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday clears the way for Iraqi participation in the Olympic Games in Beijing," the IOC said in a statement. "I commend the government of Iraq for reaching an agreement that serves the long-term interest of Iraqi athletes," IOC president Jacques Rogge said. "We have said all along that we want to see Iraqi athletes in Beijing. "We look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing." The government of Iraq disbanded the NOC in May because of a dispute over how it had been assembled. The IOC gave Iraq a deadline to reinstate the committee but the government had refused to back down.
Finally, great news for Iraqi athletes to compete in Beijing Games! Iraq small-contingent will perform in 2 sport disciplines -- track & field (2) and rowing (2). Additional article taken from VOA News : Two More Iraqi Athletes Will Attend Beijing Olympics By VOA Sports 30 July 2008 The International Rowing Federation (FISA) has confirmed that two more Iraqi athletes will be allowed to compete in next month's Beijing Olympics even though the deadline for their entry has passed. Basil Abdul Mahdi (l) senior adviser to the Iraqi minister of youth and Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, in Lausanne, Switzerland, 29 Jul 2008 The International Olympic Committee decided to revoke a ban against rowers Haidar Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur in men's doubles sculls. The IOC made the decision because the two men's places had not been given to competitors from other countries. The decision comes one day after the IOC decided to allow two Iraqi track and field athletes to compete in Beijing. The IOC had suspended all Iraqi competitors from the Games because of government interference in the Iraqi national Olympic committee. However, the IOC reversed its decision Tuesday in Lausanne after an Iraqi government delegation pledged to hold free elections for its national committee. The decision came too late for Iraqi athletes in judo, archery, and weightlifting. The deadline passed for those sports and their places have been filled by other competitors. Some information for this report was provided by AP
It's Five (not four) Iraqi Athletes go to Beijing! Taken from AFP through Yahoo!News : Five Iraqi athletes to go to Beijing Games Wed Jul 30, 3:02 PM ET Iraqi officials said Wednesday that the International Olympic Committee will allow up to five Iraqi athletes to take the field in Beijing after a ban on the country was lifted at the eleventh hour. "The IOC has allowed another three Iraqi athletes to participate in the Beijing Games after permitting two other athletes to take part," Hussein al-Amidi, security general of the Iraqi Olympic Committee told AFP. Track and field athletes Haidar Nasir, a discus thrower, and sprinter Dana Hussein, will be joined by rowers Haidar Nozad and Hamza Hussein and archer Ali Adnan, Amidi said. Adnan's participation will however depend on another archer from any other country dropping out of the Games, Didier Mieville, media director for the International Archery Federation based in Lausanne told AFP. "If there is a cancellation of any other archers then he is first on the waiting list," Mieville told AFP. The announcement Wednesday came a day after Iraqi and IOC officials hammered out a last minute deal to allow two Iraqi athletes to compete in the Chinese capital. In addition, five government representatives will be invited by the IOC as observers to the Games in Beijing. Following Tuesday's decision in Lausanne, it initially looked as if five athletes of the original seven member squad would to be left out after registration deadlines for those sports expired. If Adnan, the archer, were allowed to take part, only a judoka and a weightlifter would be excluded, according to IOC regulations. The lifting of the ban came about after the Iraqi government agreed on a series of steps leading to a fully functioning independent National Olympic Committee (NOC) in Iraq. The agreement struck in Lausanne calls for a transparent and fair election of a new, independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee, no later than the end of November. This process will be overseen by the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia and will be held in cooperation with the government of Iraq, and in accordance with the Olympic Charter. In June the IOC had suspended Iraq for "political interference" in its NOC which was sacked in May and replaced by a new panel headed by Iraqi Youth and Sports Minister Jassem Jaafar. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
yes..tat right..but sometime if iraq have politic's problem with china maybe they will banned from joining olympic..
