Turmoil in Africa Reaches Olympic World -Updated with Libya Comment

IOC Member Links to Mubarak

There is no word on the legal status of Egyptian IOC member Mounir Sabet as prosecutors in Cairo close-in on the financial dealings of his sister and her two sons.

Sabet’s sister, Suzanne, is the wife of deposed Eqyptian President Hosni Mubarak, with sons Gamal and Alaa now being held in a Cairo jail under investigation. Mubarak, hospitalized this week, is also under questioning. The two sons led businesses that made them and the Mubarak family wealthy. Prosecutors must decide whether the riches are ill-gotten.

Sabet, according to reports from Cairo, was actively involved with the Mubarak enterprises. A report in February said that Sabet’s bank accounts have been frozen.

Attempts by ATR to contact Sabet by phone and fax have not been successful. He is not believed to be under any detention orders.

The IOC was not able to furnish information on Sabet’s status.

Sabet, 74, was elected to the IOC in 1998 and is Egypt’s senior IOC member.

Rania El-Wani, 33, is the other Egyptian on the IOC, elected to an eight-year term in 2004 as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission. She, too, has been unavailable for comment about the changes coming to Egypt.

Sabet, who was a general in the Egyptian military and has a degree in aeronautics, is chairman of the Egyptian Aviation Services Board.

His sport background is in shooting, and Sabet is a past president of the national federation. He served twice as president of the Egyptian NOC, his last term over in 2009.

No contact with the Egyptian NOC, either. Its website, www.egyptianolympic.org, has not been updated since IOC President Jacques Rogge visited Cairolast December.

The upheaval in Egypt has led to the cancellation or movement of international sports events, such as the modern pentathlon world championships, now set for Russia.

New to ATR- Libya Says Conditions Difficult

The strife in Libya has made life difficult for athletes hoping to go to the London Olympics, the secretary general of the Libyan NOC tells Around the Rings.

"The main concern for the Libyan NOC is the wellbeing of the athletes

and provide the support needed for their preparations which became

very difficult since the situation erupted in Libya," writes Marwan Maghur in an Email to ATR.

"As you can imagine sport practicing and preparation is not a priority with what's

going on and not easy. Even though, we are trying to meet our

obligations and support as much as possible. Among which is supporting

the athletes with potential qualifications to London 2012 as

preparations and qualification events are taking place now," says Marwan.

He says Libya needs the support of Olympic Solidarity to help the athletes get to London.

"The Libyan NOC is working closely with Olympic Solidarity team at the IOC trying

to work out how to get the athletes especially the ones with Olympic Scholarships to join their camps, and have a normal life as much as possible," he says.

LOC President Mohammed Muammar al-Gaddafi is the eldest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He isan engineer by profession, holding an advanced degree from a British university. At one time he was mentioned as a possible successor to his father.

His name has not appeared in reports from Libya that includehis brothers' involvementin the defense of the Gaddafi government against the rebel forces.

Asked last week in a press conference about the situation in Libya as related to the NOC leader, IOC President Jacques Rogge indicated that there are no issues he knows about Gaddafi’s tenure.

"At no time did we have any complaints about his behavior," says the IOC President.

Libyan sent a seven-member team to the Beijing Olympics and has yet to medal since first participating at the 1964 Games in Tokyo.

Tripoli is bidding to host the 2017 Mediterranean Games.

Communications Test for Arab Games

Around the Rings is told that the political dramas in the Arab world are to blame for communications problems between organizers of the 2011 Arab Games in Doha and some of the 22 nations taking part in the event. Syria and Libya are said to be incommunicado right now.

The games, with 38 sports, are part of Qatar’s efforts to bolster its sports event experience ahead of the 2022 World Cup and a future Olympic bid.

Written by Ed Hula.