Olympic torch to discontinue due to crackdown in Tibet
MIL/Agencies, Apr 8, 2008. IR Summary
Paris: April 8, 2008 – (Agencies) The Beijing Olympic torch relay shall be scrapped due to China’s military crackdown in Tibet. The International Olympic Committee is likely to take decision on the relay in Beijing this Friday.
The executive board will meet on Friday to discuss whether to allow the torch to continue its 85,000 mile country journey or not. As the reports are coming in, the executives feel to be firm in favour of discontinuing the relay of the Olympic torc, as per Jacques Rogge, the IOC President.
Mr Rogge expressed his displeasure and was anquish due to violent protests in London and Paris and was concerned about tomorrow's torch relay in San Francisco.
The IOC is expected to hold its last official meeting in Beijing this week with organisers of the Beijing games. Gunilla Lindberg, a Swedish IOC member, said that the protests surrounding the torch relay were “damaging the Olympic movement”. “I think it is a matter of getting angry and getting sad.
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