Arabs’ Olympic stance

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 28

Arabs’ Olympic stance

Arab competitors will refuse to meet Israelis in any sport involving direct physical contact at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, according to a leading Arab sports official.'

Sheikh Fahed AI-Ahmad Al-Sabah, leader of the Kuwait delegation at the Asian Games, in Bangkok, told NZPA-Reuter that Arab nations had decided not to compete at Moscow with the Israelis in “direct physical confrontations like football or fencing.” But he said that the Arabs would compete with the Israelis in other sports “such as athletics where there will

be several other countries involved.”

Sheikh Fahed said that other Asian countries might support the Arab position, but this would be left to individual nations.

In the 1974 Asian Games, in Teheran, Arab countries supported by China withdrew from some sports con tests with Israelis. These included football and basketball.

Sheikh Fahed’s comments came the day after it was disclosed that the Asian Games Federation (A.G.F.) had decided that: there would be a total Asian boycott of the Moscow Olympics if any Asian athlete was barred by

the International Amateur Athletics Association (1.A.A.F.). The I.A.A.F. refused to sanction the Asian Games track and warned that athletes competing in Bangkok might be banned from future international events, including the Olympics.

The A.G.F. is seeking the support of African nations in its battle with the 1.A.A.F., which will meet in London next month to consider the position. The A.G.F. is also hoping that the Soviet Union’s Olympics organising committee will try to persuade the I.A.A.F. to soften its position.