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Iraq comes to IOC to save place in Olympics
Senior Iraqi officials are meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday to salvage the country's participation in the Olympics.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:50 July 29, 2008
Lausanne, Switzerland: Senior Iraqi officials are meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday to salvage the country's participation in the Olympics.
A delegation led by government spokesman Ali Al Dabbagh will discuss reinstating the National Olympic Committee that Iraq dissolved in May, causing their disqualification.
Iraq also has verbally committed to a compromise by holding free elections to its national committee under IOC observation.
"Our expectation - and this has been made clear - is that they come to Lausanne to confirm this pledge in person," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said late Monday.
The talks will come 24 hours before a Wednesday deadline to submit competitors' names for the athletics events and 10 days before the opening ceremony in Beijing.
A breakthrough in Tuesday's talks would allow two Iraqi track and field athletes to compete in athletics events.
Five other hopefuls in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting lost their chance to compete when a deadline to select teams for other sports passed on Wednesday with no break in the stalemate.
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