International Olympic Committee to give direct fundings to Syrian athletes
It has been recently announced by the International Olympic Committee that some of the Syrian athletes that are set to participate in the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games will be given direct funding from the IOC.
Previously, the IOC had been giving the funds to the Syrian authorities. The funds have been allocated to the Syrian athletes in order to help them prepare well for the Olympic Games.
Pere Miro, who is the director of National Olympic Committee relations at the IOC, expressed himself on the matter by giving the following statements, “We continue to deal with the athletes in Syria and we will try to make sure there are Syrian athletes
at the London Olympic Games. We are continuing to support the athletes - about four or five of them in athletics and swimming - it is a special programme for scholarships that support the athletes. In the past we were dealing with the national Olympic committee
but we are now finding more direct ways to support them because the situation there is a little confused.”
Despite the fact that the funds have been diverted from the authorities to the athletes themselves, the Syrian Olympic Committee has been formally invited to be a part of the Olympic Games. The Syrian Olympic Committee is being headed by General Mowaffak
Joumaa, the president of the SOC. Joumaa holds the honour of being a long distance runner as well as being the head of the Military Sports Federation of his country.
Despite that fact that the SOC is still recognized by the IOC, that status may undergo a change if the political scenario of the country changes. There is a possibility that the United Nations might put sanctions on Syria in the coming days.
The IOC has a rule in its charter that gives allowance to countries that have a political barrier from participating in the Olympic Games. Those countries that cannot display their flag during the Olympic Games for political reasons are allowed by the IOC
to take part in the Games by sending in their delegation under a neutral Olympic flag.
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