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Cricket unlikely in Olympics

By Waheed Khan
November 25, 2006 18:15 IST
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President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge said he did not see cricket being included in the Olympic Games in the near future.

On his first visit to Pakistan, Rogge told reporters in Lahore that although cricket was a popular sport he did not see it becoming part of the Olympic family.

"Neither has the International Cricket Council approached the IOC for consideration," he said.

Rogge, however, said that the issue of squash being included in the Summer Games would be discussed in 2009 when the host city for the 2016 Olympiad are decided.

Rogge is on a maiden visit to Pakistan and the national Olympic council is hoping it will lead to more financial and technical assistance for sports in the country.

He also highlighted the IOC's zero tolerance of athletes using drugs.

Two of Pakistan's leading boxers, Mehrullah Lasi and Faisal Karim, were banned this week for testing positive after a dope test at the South Asian Games held in Colombo in August.

Pakistani cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have also been banned after testing positive for using a banned substance before the Champions Trophy in India.

"The IOC has a strong policy to curb the use of banned substances by athletes," he said.

"It is necessary for healthy and fair play to discourage the use of drugs and banned substances for which IOC will take every step," Rogge added.

The IOC chief also visited Islamabad and met with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

"His visit is a big boost for Pakistan sports as he has got an opportunity to see for himself the sports culture that exists in every part of our society," Khaliq Khan, a senior official of the Pakistan Olympic Association, said on Saturday.

"There is lot of scope for sports in our country and we are hoping to get more financial and technical assistance to promote different sports particularly for women," Khan said.

Rogge said that he had been impressed by the government's commitment to promoting a sporting culture.

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Waheed Khan
Source: REUTERS
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