Honestly, the Olympics aren’t of interest to me. There is no football in the Olympics, so I really do not care. However, when I was watching the news a while back and the reporter said that the Iraqi athletes were not allowed to participate in the Olympics, I was extremely upset and I wasn’t really sure why.
Every other Olympic story went in through one ear and out the other. The Olympics are in China? It doesn’t matter to me. There are revolts about the Olympics in China? Oh, I couldn’t care less. U.S. considers not going because it was in China? I’m sorry, but I have to go to work in twenty, can we talk about it another time?
But I couldn’t stop thinking about this story. I mean, these people trained all their lives to participate and because of where they are from Iraq they couldn’t play? I don’t know; I guess it just seemed unfair. If they were from America, they would be winning gold medals. I discussed it with others and they seemed to have the same opinion as me.
And then I thought about Dana Hussain, a sprinter from the country. I thought about her bursting into tears, her face being all blotching, the way it only is after someone is really upset and is balling. "Who guarantees I can live through 2012? You still can wait to compete in the 2012 Olympics."
Every time I thought about it, I just got more and more upset. This issue really got to me.The girl was the best of the best at sprinting, something I could never be. She deserved to be in China, competing against the world's athletes. That was the right thing to do.
As China View put it, “Being disqualified to participate in the Beijing Olympics would have been not only a great regret for Iraq and its people, but also a serious setback to its dignity and the confidence of the international society in rebuilding the war-torn Middle East country.”
Article comments
1 - Jordan Richardson
Very cool!
2 - Hassan
Thank you so much. I think I speak on behalf of all Iraqis when I say I'm touched by your empathy with us.
The roar our 7 athletes received at the opening ceremony was amazing too. Hopefully they'll bring back a medal or two.
3 - Jordan Richardson
Hassan, I watched the opening ceremony and the ovation was indeed very cool. I'm proud of all of your athletes and I wish your fellow Iraqis the very best at the Games.
4 - ALESSANDRO
It's insane that the IOC played bureucracy with them to begin with.