OPENING CEREMONY: 'no question of boycott by Irish athletes'

IRELAND:THERE IS "no question" of Irish athletes boycotting the opening ceremony of this year's Olympic Games, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland Pat Hickey said yesterday. However, individual athletes will be free to make their own decision on attendance, he said.

The council had not yet received any inquiries from athletes on the matter, he said. "There is no talk about any boycott of any opening ceremony or anything. What is being looked for is that athletes need more direction on where and when they speak.

"There's no gagging order - we don't want any protests for example at the medal ceremony. But if the athlete is interviewed afterwards by the Irish media or any other media, they're free to say whatever they feel like saying and there's no gagging at all."

Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Mr Hickey said sporting bodies are soft targets and criticised what he called the hypocrisy surrounding the Olympics. "The governments of the world aren't cutting off any trade links with China," he said. "The Americans are out here with a huge business, trade delegation. You've got all these prime ministers etc saying they might boycott."

He denied the protests would damage the Olympic brand, describing it as a "hiccup", but said the council was disturbed by recent events in London and Paris.

"We think it's a shame that the torch and the Olympic values and the ethos of the Olympic movement have been treated in such a manner, but it's obviously a well orchestrated campaign."

Last year the Special Olympics was held in Shanghai. Mary Davis, chief executive of Special Olympics Ireland, said the event did not provoke the same protests that the Beijing games has attracted. Sport was "a powerful agent of change" she said, but added that change could come about through participation.

Ms Davis urged US president George Bush and other world leaders to encourage China to enter dialogue on Tibet rather than boycott the opening ceremony in Beijing. "I think that would be much more effective than boycotting," she said in an interview with RTÉ radio yesterday morning. "I don't believe that boycotting in any situation is the best way forward and I don't think that sport should be used to exert political pressure either."

Although Ms Davis acknowledged that sending the Olympic torch through Tibet made a statement about the control of the territory, she said sport had always built bridges, and broken down barriers.

"Special Olympics is a metaphor for equality by removing barriers, by providing opportunities and I think sport is exactly the same," she said.