Sunday, 23 November 2008
updated 1 minute ago
23:14 UAE time

YOUR DIRECTORY /

IOC lifts Iraq's Beijing Olympics ban

by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Wednesday, 30 July 2008

ENTRANCE PERMITTED: A security guard stands outside the National Olympic Council of Iraq in Baghdad. (AFP)

The ban on Iraq competing at the Beijing Olympics next month has been lifted, the International Olympic Committee announced here on Tuesday.

Iraqi's seven-strong Olympic contingent were freed to take part in the 2008 Games after agreement was reached between the IOC and the Iraqi government at a crisis meeting at the IOC's headquarters in Lausanne.

The lifting of the ban came about after the Iraqi government agreed on a series of steps leading to a fully functioning independent National Olympic Committee (NOC) in Iraq.

In June the IOC had suspended Iraq for "political interference" in its NOC which was sacked in May and replaced by a new panel headed by Iraqi Youth and Sports Minister Jassem Jaafar.

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