Saturday, September 16, 2000
East Timorese athletes cheered at opening of Sydney Olympics
15 September -- Four athletes from East Timor won cheers from the crowd today at the opening of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, according to a United Nations spokesman in New York.
Spokesman Fred Eckhard told journalists at UN Headquarters that the sportsmen were cheered as they walked into Stadium Australia behind the Olympic flag.
The four Timorese athletes -- two marathon runners, a boxer and a weightlifter - were allowed by the International Olympic Committee to compete in this year's games, even though East Timor has not yet attained statehood. Secretary-General Kofi Annan had personally requested a special exemption from the International Olympic Committee to allow the athletes to compete, the spokesman said.
A video message from the Secretary-General, to be delivered at the Olympics, emphasizes the importance of restoring the tradition of the Olympic truce - a cessation of hostilities in the weeks before and after the Olympic Games. Mr. Annan is being represented at the Games by UN Chief of Staff Iqbal Riza.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
