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| Hot topic: Iran's Olympic committe is unhappy with the London 2012 |
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Iran’s national Olympic committee claims that the official London 2012 logo is racist and is threatening to boycott next year’s Games unless it is changed.
Hot topic: Iran's Olympic committe is unhappy with the London 2012
Iranian Olympic president Mohammad Aliabadi wrote to the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge saying the logo was “revolting” because it spelt out “Zion” – a reference to the country’s enemy, Israel.
Aliabadi threatened that any neglect of the issue by the IOC “would affect the participation of several countries, especially Iran, which insists on following principles and values.”
A spokesman for the IOC said: “We are looking forward to London staging a great Games and all countries being represented there.”
Iran is the first country to threaten to withdraw their participation at the London Olympic Games and the issue is being taken seriously because of the sensitivity of the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.
The emotionally-charged letter, which was addressed to the IOC several days ago, stated: “Unfortunately, we all are witnessing that the upcoming Olympics ... faces a serious challenge, definitely spawned out of some people’s racist spirit.
“The use of the word Zion by the designer of Olympics logo .... in the emblem of the Olympic Games 2012 is a very revolting act.”
Iran sent a team of 55, including three women to the Beijing Olympics and competed in a variety of sports including wrestling, judo, weightlifting, taekwondo, basketball, swimming, as well as track and field.
At the Beijing Games one of the Iranian swimmers Mohammad Alirezaei withdrew from the men’s 100 metres breaststroke competition claiming he was ill, but the presence of Israel’s Tom Be’eri in the same heat was originally believed to be the reason.
But yesterday Olympic officials were trying to downplay the row. The IOC spokesman said: “The logo represents London 2012 and nothing else.”
London Olympic Games organisers said they were surprised the complaint has been raised now after the design, at a reported cost of £400,000, was launched nearly four years ago following testing and consultation.
However immediately following the logo’s public release in 2007 there were claims, by some critics, that it represented a sexual act.
The London organisers had no comment over the threat to boycott the Games.
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