BOA Says It Will Not Prevent Athletes From Speaking Out
The British Olympic Association (BOA) yesterday said it has “no intention of gagging” its athletes at the Beijing Games, according to the AP. On Sunday, the BOA said it would “require its athletes to sign a new clause in their contracts which prohibits making politically sensitive remarks or gestures during the Olympics.” However, BOA Dir of Communications Graham Newsom said, “Clearly (the instructions) had been misinterpreted, and we now accept they may have been open to misinterpretation. But there is no intention of gagging anyone. We are trying to mirror what it says in the Olympic Charter” (AP, 2/11). In Chicago, Philip Hersh writes, “Confusing rules and the desire of some countries to avoid anything that might offend their Chinese hosts have created both misunderstanding and attempts by some national Olympic committees to censor their athletes in China this August.” In the last two weeks, the Belgian and New Zealand Olympic committees have also drawn “strong condemnation from human rights organizations for apparent attempts to muzzle their athletes in Beijing.” USOC Chief Communications Officer Darryl Seibel said that no U.S. athlete would be “reprimanded or censured for expressing a critical opinion about China’s human rights record, so long as it is done in an appropriate setting.” Seibel: “In speaking with our athletes, most seem to feel it would be highly inappropriate to use the Games as a forum to make a political statement.” Meanwhile, IOC Dir of Communications Giselle Davies said that the organization has “no intention of penalizing athletes who respond frankly to questions about politically sensitive issues in China” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/12). BOCOG Media Dir Sun Weide said that “all athletes were expected to follow the Olympic Charter, drawn up by the [IOC], which outlaws political acts.” Sun: “I hope that the Olympic spirit will be followed and also the relevant IOC regulations will be followed in every regard” (London TELEGRAPH, 2/12).
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Rudman One Of Several British
Athletes To Have Joined Team Darfur |
SPEAKING OUT: In London, Owen Slot reports British badminton player Richard Vaughan and skeleton silver medalist Shelley Rudman have “publicly signed up to Team Darfur, a group urging China to use its leverage with Sudan to hasten an end to the Darfur crisis.” Eight other unidentified British athletes are also among the 205-member group, which “hopes to use press conferences and possible podium appearances in Beijing this summer to protest.” Vaughan said that he “feared he would miss out on selection because of his involvement [with the group].” Vaughan: “British Badminton will think I’m just trying to cause trouble. ... I think I can kiss my funding goodbye” (LONDON TIMES, 2/12). Noble Peace laureates Bishop Carlos Belo, Shirin Ebadi, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchu, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wiesel, Betty Williams and Jody Williams, along with other Western politicians, former Olympic athletes and entertainers sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao today “urging the Beijing Games host to uphold Olympic ideals by pressing its ally Sudan to stop atrocities in Darfur.” The letter read in part, “As the primary economic, military and political partner of the Government of Sudan, and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has both the opportunity and the responsibility to contribute to a just peace in Darfur” (REUTERS, 2/12).
TICKET CRUNCH: In London, Ashling O’Connor wrote an “acute shortage of tickets for the Beijing Olympics means that there are as few as six per session on sale to the entire British public for some events.” Although competitors' families are “supposed to receive priority booking, many may be forced to watch the competition on television, with swimming and cycling said to be the worst-affected events.” The shortage is a “result of Britain’s allocation of only 30,000 tickets by the [BOCOG].” Britain received an allocation of 120,000 for the ’04 Athens Olympics (LONDON TIMES, 2/11).
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