African athletes in China games ban
Print Edition
THREE teenage athletes from the Ebola-affected regions of Africa will not be allowed to compete at the Youth Olympics in China because of the risk of infection, the International Olympic Committee and local organizers said yesterday.
All athletes and officials from the four West African nations affected by the deadly virus will be “subject to regular temperature and physical assessment” for the duration of the games, which open today in the eastern city of Nanjing.
The IOC and Chinese organizers issued a joint statement saying they had worked out a safety policy in conjunction with the World Health Organization to prevent the possible spread of the virus that has now killed more than 1,000 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.
“We have been reassured by the health authorities that there have been no suspected cases and that the risk of infection is extremely unlikely,” the statement said.
However, athletes from the affected regions will be prohibited from competing in combat sports due to “health authority guidelines” and aquatic events “based on the inability to completely exclude the risk of potential infection,” the statement said.
The measures mean that three African athletes — two in combat sports and one in aquatics — won’t be able to compete. The statement didn’t identify the athletes.
However, the competitors’ list contains a 16-year-old female Nigerian wrestler, and a 16-year-old female judo athlete and 16-year-old male swimmer from Guinea.
The athletes involved will be invited to Nanjing later to take part in another sporting competition, the IOC statement said.
“We regret that due to this issue some young athletes may have suffered twice, both from the anguish caused by the outbreak in their home countries and by not being able to compete in the Youth Olympic Games,” it said.
Organizers say the delegations from the four Ebola-affected nations are still welcome at the games, after Sierra Leone said its team was told not to come to China and Nigeria reportedly complained that its athletes were being “isolated” and “quarantined” and not allowed to train alongside other competitors.
The 12-day Youth Olympics will see more than 3,000 athletes from the age of 15 to 18 competing in 28 sports.
“Together we have developed a policy which balances the health needs of all, with respect for the rights of the young athletes from the region,” the statement said.
“The organizing committee has made it clear that all delegations are welcome to the games and each country is free to make its own decision on attendance.”
Teams which are unable to come can still have their national flag carried into the opening ceremony and raised at the sports venues, the statement said.
The IOC said yesterday that no athletes from Sierra Leone and Liberia would be competing at the games after teams from those countries decided not to travel to China. Guinea will be represented.
The position of Nigeria was unclear, however, after the latest country to be affected by Ebola reportedly withdrew its athletes over their treatment.
“Nigerian athletes were quarantined, isolated and barred from training alongside athletes from other countries since they arrived,” Gbenga Elegbeleye, director general of Nigeria’s Sports Commission, was quoted by Nigerian media as saying. “Following this discrimination, we have resolved to pull out from the games.”
Sierra Leone’s Olympic committee said it had been advised by the Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone not to send a delegation to the games. The team had begun its journey to China, but decided to turn back.
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak has forced qualifiers for football’s African Cup of Nations to be moved out of Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The Ebola outbreak has killed 1,069 people so far.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak is being vastly underestimated.
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