Although the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is still reorganizing itself, the committee wants to help Iraq in rebuilding its sports structure by sending sports equipment to Iraqi children and looking into whether its elite athletes could train at U.S. facilities or have American coaches travel there, according to a Newsday report.
USOC interim president Bill Martin said, “just as our country is going to put forth multiple efforts to help the process of rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure, its government structure, its private sector, we’re going to see what we can do”.
He added, “we have several manufacturers of sporting equipment that are going to give us some simple things, such as soccer balls. Maybe we’ll give one to every American military person that will be in Iraq in this period of transition…and let those folks kick around the ball with the kids”.
Speaking at a forum sponsored by NYC2012 Martin said that the USOC will be “an absolute partner” with New York City in winning the 2012 bid. “I believe that New York will present the most technically responsible bid, one that will capture the imagination of the IOC”.
He said, “it’s vital to the long-term health of the Olympic movement that we get those summer games back here in our country”.
When asked if the impending trial of the two Salt Lake bid officials will hurt the USOC or New York’s 2012 bid chances, Martin said, “I really don’t think so. The standards which are in place today under which New York’s bid is going forward are totally different than the process we had at the point in time. Furthermore we expect the IOC to follow the process that that they put in place”.
“This will all be behind us by the time the bid comes out (in 2005)”.
