LYON, France: The head of Iraq’s delegation said Olympic chiefs had rejected their request not to display Israel’s flag next to Iraq’s during the Paris Games.
Iraq’s men’s football team beat Ukraine 2-1 on Wednesday in Lyon and lost 3-1 to Argentina on Saturday.
“When we arrived at Lyon Stadium (Wednesday), we found the Iraqi flag displayed next to the Israeli flag,” despite Israel’s team not having any matches in Lyon, Herda Raouf told AFP.
Raouf, whose country does not recognize the Israeli state and supports the Palestinian cause, added that his delegation had asked a representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “to relocate or remove the Israeli flag,” but their wish was denied.
The committee’s representative argued, according to Raouf, that the “flags of all participating countries in the men’s and women’s football games needed to be displayed in alphabetical order.”
Raouf added that his delegation sent a formal protest by email to the IOC with the same demand before the game with Argentina, but the request was once again rejected.
French security forces identified the Ukraine-Iraq and Israel-Mali football matches on Wednesday as high-risk events.
Around 1,000 French police officers were on duty to provide security at Israel’s game against Mali, at which fans flew Palestinian and Israeli flags.
The Palestine Olympic Committee wrote to the IOC last week asking for a ban on Israeli athletes at the Paris Olympics over the war in Gaza, which was rejected.
Following a 1-1 draw with Mali, Israel’s team are in action against Paraguay on Saturday in Paris.
Iraq’s request to move Israel flag rejected by Olympic chiefs
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Iraq’s request to move Israel flag rejected by Olympic chiefs
- “When we arrived at Lyon Stadium, we found the Iraqi flag displayed next to the Israeli flag,” despite Israel’s team not having any matches in Lyon, Herda Raouf said
- French security forces identified the Ukraine-Iraq and Israel-Mali football matches on Wednesday as high-risk events
Nigeria’s Chukwueze calls for AFCON to get same respect as World Cup
- “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV
Nigeria forward Samuel Chukwueze believes the Africa Cup of Nations should be given the same level of respect as the World Cup and the European Championship following controversy over the timing of the tournament in Morocco.
Initially scheduled to take place in the summer, this year’s AFCON was scheduled for December 21-January 18, depriving leading European clubs of key players participating in it at a crucial stage of the domestic season. “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV. “You have to respect the AFCON the same way you respect the European Championship or World Cup.”
The Fulham winger will miss six games for his club if Nigeria reach the round of 16.
“We understand they scheduled it at the wrong time of the year, but when it’s important, if you get recalled you have to go,” he said. “You don’t have any choice, your club can’t stop you and no one should say anything bad about the AFCON. Yes, they put it at the wrong time, but saying it’s not a good competition or a great competition is unacceptable.”
Chukwueze helped Nigeria secure an opening 2-1 win over Tanzania in Group C ahead of their second game against Tunisia on Saturday.
