Olympic panel confirms Iraq banned from Games

Baghdad: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed a ban on Iraq from competing in the Beijing Games in a major blow to seven Iraqi athletes who had hoped to travel to China.

In the letter dated July 23 and addressed to Iraqi Youth and Sports Minister Jassem Jaafar, the IOC said it was moving ahead with a ban first imposed on the country's athletes last month. "In spite of all the joint efforts of IOC and OCA [(Olympic Council of Asia], over the last months to find a positive solution with the Iraqi government authorities, we regretfully inform you that the decision of the IOC executive board dated 4 June 2008 to suspend the National Olympic Committee of Iraq is confirmed," said the letter.

"We deeply regret this outcome which severely harms the Iraqi Olympic and Sports Movement and the Iraqi athletes but which is unfortunately imposed by the circumstances."

The IOC suspended Iraq for "political interference" in its national Olympic committee which was sacked in May and replaced by a new panel headed by Jaafar. It had warned that sanctions could be imposed after the committee and other sports bodies were disbanded.

The new ruling capped a host of Iraqi sporting problems that began after the former basketball player and Iraqi Olympic Committee boss Ahmad Al Hadjiya was kidnapped along with other sports officials by gunmen who stormed a conference in broad daylight in 2006. He has not been heard of since.

In May, the world football governing body suspended Iraq from international soccer for one year after the Iraq government dissolved its National Olympic Committee and national sport federations in breach of regulations. The ban was subsequently "provisionally and conditionally" lifted. Iraq qualified for the 1986 Fifa World Cup and the Olympic Games three times - in 1980, 1984 and 1986. It also won the 1982 Asian Games.