International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge on Saturday made an emotional appeal for the release of kidnapped Iraqi sportsmen snatched during the bloody insurgency.
Rogge said that the taking of the head of the Iraq Olympic Committee as well as athletes and officials had cast a cloud over the Asian Games which were officially opened here on Friday. "The opening ceremony was superbly organised, but we cannot forget those who are missing here," Rogge told the general assembly of the Asian Olympic Council.
"I plead to those who have taken them to set them free, to allow them to return to their homes and families, their clubs and federations where they can continue to work with the youth of Iraq." Iraq's sports community has suffered a deluge of kidnappings recently.
In July, gunmen kidnapped Ahmed al-Hijiya, the chairman of Iraq's Olympic committee and at least 30 others while they attended a conference. They were blindfolded and handcuffed and bundled into vehicles before being driven away. The bodies of two bodyguards were found later, dumped in a street. Jamal Abdul Karim, the president of the Iraqi taekwondo federation, was also snatched by the gunmen along with 15 members of the team.
The coach of the national wrestling team, Mohammed Sahib, has been murdered. Many have been targeted because of their perceived links with the US-led allies.
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