Eyes on Iraq

World events continue as organizers monitor conflict

LONDON (Reuters) -- The organizers of international sporting events around the globe are determined that war in Iraq should not disrupt fixtures and tournaments.

But after the opening shots of the war were fired early on Thursday, it may end up being a case of "even if you call them, they might not come" as athletes consider their safety before travelling to events.

"It is in the interest of sport and of the IOC to stage as many events as possible during this period," International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice president Thomas Bach told German sports news agency SID.

"Sport's duty is to build bridges, not walls," said Bach, who added that the IOC would remain strictly neutral and would do its utmost to guarantee the security of athletes.

Immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, many athletes were reluctant to travel overseas to events and the present crisis has already had some impact.

Major League Baseball cancelled its planned season-opening series in Japan on Wednesday, while world number one golfer Tiger Woods pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic for safety reasons earlier this month.

Soccer's world governing body FIFA has postponed the world youth championship, which had also been scheduled for the United Arab Emirates in March.

The relevant authorities in tennis and golf have all said that events on their respective international tours would go ahead as planned, though they will be monitoring the situation in Iraq.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley issued a statement on Thursday to silence rumors that this weekend's Formula One Grand Prix would be cancelled.

"Formula One is a genuinely international sport welcomed by a wide range of cultures across the world," said Mosley.

"Our sport has nothing whatever to do with the conflict in Iraq and the FIA fully supports the local organizers of the Malaysian Grand Prix in running this event in the usual way."

Formula One has always said that it would be business as usual on the grand prix circuit and world champion Michael Schumacher said on Thursday that he was satisfied with the security measures in place.

Very concerned

"I think it's a matter of mentality," the German said in Sepang.

"I guess particular Americans are very, very concerned. I noticed one event where Tiger Woods was supposed to do a golf tournament in Dubai and cancelled that."

"In those circumstances it is a single person's decision and it is easy for him to do so.

"Here we have quite a big structure around and I guess at the end of the day it is not a single man's decision...whether it is safe or not."

American cyclist Lance Armstrong is due in Spain next week for the Tour of Catalan and his concerns, if not his determination to compete, may prove typical of the reaction to the current conflict.

"If I have to do the Tour [de France] with a war under way it would be very difficult for me," Armstrong, who will be aiming for a fifth straight Tour victory in July, said in January.

"In cycling you ride in the open -- there is no fencing or protection nets. But I will be there just the same, it won't be the war that stops me. Even if I am advised to pull out for security reasons I will still go."

In the Gulf, the organizers of horse racing's richest meeting, which centers on the US$6 million Dubai World Cup, are determined it will go ahead as planned on March 29. All 13 U.S.-trained entries flew in this week.

In doubt

But a triangular one-day international cricket tournament planned for next month in the neighboring Emirate of Sharjah, could be in doubt.

South Africans, whose team are due to play the tournament with Pakistan and Sri Lanka starting on April 1, were advised on Thursday not to travel to the Gulf by their foreign ministry.

United Cricket Board director of communications Bronwyn Wilkinson said: "At present we have not changed our plans to play in Sharjah but we are in daily contact with the government and it is their advice we will follow."

In soccer, European governing body UEFA say they are closely monitoring the situation but have no plans at present to cancel scheduled matches.

"At this stage we hope that all games will go ahead as scheduled, but we will not hesitate to intervene if circumstances require it," said UEFA's communications director Mike Lee in a statement.

France are set to play Israel in a European championship qualifier in Palermo, Italy, on April 2 and national team coach Jacques Santini said on Tuesday he thought the match should be called off.

"I'm talking as a citizen. We have to think about the players' families. This conflict goes far beyond our sport," he said.

But a French soccer federation spokesman said on Thursday that the match would go ahead.

"We are reviewing the situation on a daily basis but so far there is no change," he said.

Scud attacks

In Israel, which was a target of Iraqi scud missile attacks in the last Gulf War in 1991, the soccer authorities plan to go ahead with domestic fixtures.

League soccer in Turkey, which borders Iraq but has so far refused to allow U.S. troops or aircraft to use it as a base for attacks, will also continue unless the government requests that matches be postponed, federation chairman Haluk Ulusoy said.

Istanbul-based club Besiktas host Italian side Lazio in a UEFA Cup, quarter-final second leg on Thursday looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is confident there will be no disruption to any of their events.

"The next big event is the world cross country championship in Lausanne on March 29-30," said IAAF spokesman Nick Davies. "There could be disruption to travel but we have no plans to cancel or postpone any events.

"We just have to carry on. Before the world indoor championships in Birmingham [England] there was talk that the Americans wouldn't come, but in the event they sent their biggest team ever."

The IOC is fortunate that their next showpiece event, the Athens Olympic Games, is not due to take place until August 2004.

"The crisis in Iraq is 18 months away from the start of the 2004 Games, so there is no relation between the two issues," Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos said earlier this week.

 

Related information

Stories

It's business as usual for most sports federations, leagues

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.