World Briefs-- German Olympic Congress, IOC May Face Lawsuit and Kurt Furgler, 84, IOC Honor Member

German Olympic Congress

The German Olympic Sports Federation is holding its first ever Olympic Congress from July 25 to 26. The theme of the conference is “sport as a mirror and model of society.”

The DOSB announced Deutsche Telekom is a new partner for the German Olympic team.

“Together, we will move sport in Germany forward,” said IOC member and DOSB President Thomas Bach.

IOC Criticized, May Face Lawsuit over Iraq Ban

A non-governmental group will take the IOC to court on behalf of Iraqi athletes excluded from the Summer Games in Beijing, according to an Iraqi radio station.

The Association for the Protection of Iraqi Athletes' Rights said it will appeal to the International Court of Justice, the main judicial body for the UN. The Iraqi government will have no part of the suit.

The IOC says Iraqi athletes could still be allowed to compete in Beijing if the government stops interfering with the national Olympic committee by the end of July. However, the government says the dissolution was necessary because the NOC was illegitimate.

"The committee is the same old committee from the Saddam Hussein era. They have distanced themselves from the change, the new government. They have based themselves in neighboring countries. They have no allegiance to the country,” Ali Al-Hilli of the Australian Iraqi Forum told Australian media.

He also charges the IOC of hypocrisy.

"Why didn't this happen when Saddam was actually in power? He had some torture chambers in Iraq where sportsmen were actually mistreated. They were beaten up. If they lose, for example, a soccer match, then I don't see anyone interfering in their decisions. Why is this happening now?" he asked.

Athletes and Iraqi officials are criticizing the IOC, as well.

"It was an unfair decision against the Iraqi Olympic movement and Iraqi sport. It is a punishment against Iraqi athletes," an advisor to the minister of youth and sports told U.S. Media.

But the IOC blames the Iraqi government for failing its athletes.

"It's not the IOC who's banned the athletes. It's the actions of the Iraqi Government that very tragically have ill-served the athletes of their country," IOC spokesman Giselle Davies said.

Iraq's Paralympic team is still en route to Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee confirms.

"It [the Iraq National Paralympic Committee] is not facing any government interference currently," IPC spokeswoman Steffi Klein tells Around the Rings.

The 20 athletes will contest fencing, swimming, weightlifting and athletics events.

Kurt Furgler, IOC Honor Member, 84

Former IOC Honor Member, Kurt Furgler, died Wednesday in St. Gallen, Switzerland of heart failure. Since becoming a member in 2000, Furgler had been an active member of the Ethics and Nominations Commissions. He was also a former president of the Swiss Confederation.

“[His] expertise and good judgment in legal and ethical affairs, as well as his outstanding human qualities, were recognized and appreciated by the Olympic Movement,” said the IOC in a statement released Thursday.

Furgler was elected to parliament at 30 before eventually moving to the cabinet. As Swiss president, he welcomed former President Ronald Reagan to Switzerland in 1985.

He was one of only three “honor” members of the IOC. The lone surviving member is former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Briefs…

U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy, who qualified for Beijing in three events, tested positive for banned anabolic substance Clenbuterol. Hardy can appeal to the American Arbitration Association and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, whose ruling would be final and binding. Conflicting reports have surfaced about Hardy’s “B” sample. It was initially reported that both samples tested positive, but Hardy’s lawyer says her positive test was sandwiched by two negative tests. The normal penalty for a first time doping violation is a two-year suspension.

Madrid, a candidate for the 2016 Summer Games, is coming to the rescue of the International Table Tennis 2008 World Junior Championships. North Shore City, New Zealand pulled out in late May, and Madrid said it can host the December 6 to 13 tournament on short notice.

The International Softball Federation is providing fans with another Web site, Sportingo, where they can interact by writing articles on softball. "We get e-mails from our supporters worldwide, ; they post in the various categories in the Message Board section of our Web site, and, of course, we see them come in large numbers to our events. Thanks to what we're doing with Sportingo they now have another outlet for showing their passion for softball," said ISF President Don Porter.

Media Watch…

More than 5,000 athletes, gay and straight, will compete in Barcelona this weekend at the Eurogames.

Hotel rates are plummeting in Beijing as the Olympics approach, according to the UK Times.

Written by Eric Connelly.

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