An agreement was reached Tuesday between the Iraqi government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow the participation of two Iraqi athletes at the Beijing Olympic Games.
In a meeting at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, the IOC and the Government of Iraq agreed on a series of steps that will lead to a fully functioning independent National Olympic Committee in Iraq. According to an IOC press release the agreement re-establishes the independent NOC of Iraq allowing it to take part in the Beijing Games.
Iraqi athletes will compete in Beijing under the Iraqi flag, led by coaches and team leaders selected by the independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee, said the IOC. The IOC will invite five government representatives as observers to the Games.
The agreement also calls for the transparent and fair election of a new, independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee no later than the end of November. The 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.
Only two Iraqi athletics competitors will have the opportunity to compete at the Games since the deadline for competitors in all events, with the exception of athletics, passed on July 23. The slots for five Iraqi athletes in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting, have already been redistributed.
Rogge said in a statement, “we look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing”. He added, “I commend the government of Iraq for reaching an agreement that serves the long-term interest of Iraqi athletes. We have said all along that we want to see Iraqi athletes in Beijing”.
Meanwhile the Associated Press (AP) reports Wednesday that two Iraqi rowers will be allowed to take part in the Games, according to the International Rowing Federation. The federation’s executive director Matt Smith said, “we called the IOC and asked if we could have the rowers back and the answer just came through. We’re very happy”.
The two rowers were allowed back in the men’s double sculls because their places had not been given to competitors from other countries. Smith said, “no one is kicked out”.
According to AP, Dezso Dobor, a spokesman for the International Weightlifting Federation, said an Iraqi competitor might be placed on standby should an athlete from another country drop out, but could not confirm it would happen at this stage.
