Sport | Other Sports
Olympic committee disapproves of political protests
Some athletes are snubbing torch in demonstration against China, but UAE feels sport and politics should not be mixed.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:08 April 14, 2008
Abu Dhabi: The UAE National Olympic Committee (UAENOC) has announced it rejects any sort of link between politics and sport, in a reference to the protests that marred the trip of the torch of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Many sports personalities have refused to take part in carrying the Olympic Torch in protest at the Chinese 'occupation', as the protesters claim, of Tibet.
"We, in the UAENOC, refuse to join sport and politics. Sport has always been a factor to bring the world nations together, a thing we cannot always say about politics," Dr Moussa Abbass, Director of the NOC, told Gulf News yesterday.
"We have so many examples of sport playing a reconciliation role and bringing nations together. In the 1970s it was ping pong which led to bringing the USA and China nearer to each other. In the '80s Kuwait organised the Peace and Friendship Tournament that brought together Iraq and Iran.
"Politics have played a negative role in the Olympic Movement, the noblest of sports in the world, and led to boycotting the Moscow and Los Angles Olympic Games early in the '80s.
Biggest ever delegation
"We will take part in the Beijing Olympic Games with our biggest ever delegation of athletes that includes Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in tae kwon do, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Hasher Al Maktoum who will be defending his gold medal and Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, both in shooting, and Shaikha Latifa Al Maktoum in equestrian show jumping, in addition to other athletes in athletics, swimming and other sports," concluded Dr Abbass, who was a former footballer with Al Ahli and the UAE.
Meanwhile, Ebrahim Abdul Malek, Secretary General of the UAE General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and NOC, and Mohammad Al Khajah, Assistant Secretary General of NOC, are in Beijing attending meetings of the IOC and preparing for the participation of the UAE in the world's biggest sporting event this summer.
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