Samaranch accepts Aussie decision

Samaranch accepts Aussie decision

Sydney, September 10: International Olympic Committee (IOC) supremo Juan Antonio Samaranch said today that he accepted the decision of the Australian government to bar two high-ranking Sports officials from entering the country.

Boxing official Gafur Rakhimov of Uzbekistan and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) vice-president Carl Ching Men-Ky of Hong Kong were banned last week from entering Australia for the Sydney Olympics.

Samaranch had written to Australian Prime Minister John Howard demanding an explanation to ``this most urgent matter'', but after receiving a written reply from Howard today the IOC Chief said his organisation respected the decision.

``We respect the decision of the Australian government. We received a letter this morning. They say they always respect the Olympic Charter and we, too, respect the decision of the Australian government,'' said Samaranch.

Howard justified their exclusion of the officials on the grounds of ``the safety and security of the Australian community''.

``Decisions to refuse entry have been taken by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, after consideration of a number of factors including both commitments in relation to the Olympic charter and concerns relating to the safety and security of the Australian community,'' the letter stated.

``The paramount consideration in decisions taken to refuse try has been the safety and security of the Australian community.

``I am satisfied the Minister for Immigration has made the right decision.''

IOC director general Francois Carrard had complained that the exclusion had breached an agreement signed with the IOC, allowing entry to all members of the Olympic family.

Rakhimov, a senior official with the International Amateur Boxing Federation and a vice-president of the Asian Olympic Council, has reportedly been investigated by the FBI over links to the Central Asian drugs trade and Russian organised crime.

In 1997, researchers at the Paris-based Geopolitical Drugs Watch named him in an annual report on narcotics as one of Uzbekistan's top three mafia bosses, heavily involved in the drugs trade.

Ching, a prominent Hong Kong businessman, is also president of the Asian Basketball Association and Asian Basketball Confederation.

Australia's top Olympic official John Coates backed the government's action but was sympathetic to the IOC's stance.

``For the IOC's part, I think they're entitled to ensure that the Games are not used for political purposes by the host country so they're doing the right thing by checking the reasons are valid,'' he said.