Iraq’s banned Olympic Committee has opened negotiations to try to regain its place at the Beijing Games after being shut out for political interference in Olympic affairs, a spokesman said on Friday.
But a top sports official suggested Iraq was not willing to make the concessions demanded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which on Thursday upheld its ban imposed after Iraq’s government replaced its national Olympic panel with members not recognized by the IOC.
The IOC said the move violated Olympic rules on government intervention — and noted that time was running out to try to salvage even a portion of the seven-member Olympic team for the games beginning Aug. 8.
Jazair al-Sahlani, spokesman for the Iraqi Olympic committee, said “high-level” talks had begun with IOC envoys and international mediators from Germany and China. He declined to give further details, but predicted a deal was within reach.
“We still have the hope the Iraqi flag will fly at the opening ceremony in Beijing,” he said.
But Basil Abdul Mahdi, an adviser to the government’s Ministry of Youth and Sport, said there would be “no retreat” in the decision to replace the Olympic Committee.
The government claimed the old panel was corrupt and lacked legitimacy because it was missing too many members — including four members of the committee, including its chief, who were kidnapped two years ago. Their fates remain unknown.
An IOC spokeswoman, Emmanuelle Moreau, said the deadline to finalize athletics competitors is Wednesday and Iraq could field a partial team if the government reverses its decision.
That means two members of Iraq’s Olympic team — a discus thrower and sprinter — could still make the Games. The door, however, was closed to the others, said Moreau, speaking from IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“We would like to see the Iraqi athletes compete in Beijing,” Moreau said.
The Iraqi decision and refusal to compromise has angered athletes and risks aggravating Iraq’s sectarian rifts. The Youth and Sports Ministry is dominated by Shiites, who also control the government.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu of China yesterday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, while Naomi Osaka retired from the women’s singles final with an abdominal injury. Second seeds Wu and Jiang defeated Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US 6-3, 6-4 on ASB Tennis Centre’s Stadium Court in 1 hour, 5 minutes. The WTA 250 victory was 25-year-old Wu’s second WTA Tour title, after winning the 2023 Hua Hin Championships in Thailand with Taiwanese partner Chan Hao-ching. Later that year, Wu and Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou won the mixed doubles gold at the World
RSS