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Afghanistan might take part in Athens Olympics

KABUL JUNE 11. A senior International Olympic Committee official said on Tuesday he was confident that Afghanistan, banned from the Olympics since 1999, would be reinstated and allowed to participate in the 2004 Games.

Pere Miro, the IOC's Director of Relations with some 200 National Olympic Committees worldwide, spoke during a four-day visit to Kabul, where he assessed the development of sports to prepare a report for the IOC.

``I am sure that if the sanctions are lifted — and I am very confident about that — I am absolutely sure that Afghanistan will be present in the Olympic Games in Athens next year,'' Miro said.

``My analysis is that there has been some very important progress here, and the International Olympic Committee should consider reactivating the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan as a full member.''

Miro stressed, however, that the decision to reinstate Afghanistan could only be made at an IOC general assembly expected to be held next month.

Afghanistan last sent athletes to an Olympics in 1996, when three dozen travelled to Atlanta. In 1999, the IOC suspended Afghanistan, in part because of a ban on female athletics imposed by the former Taliban regime.

Miro also said the hardline Islamic Taliban government had dissolved the former Afghan Olympic Committee — its chief fled to Europe after the Taliban seized Kabul in 1996 — and created another committee that was never recognised by the IOC.

Efforts to bring Afghanistan back into the Olympics have been on since the Taliban was overthrown in a U.S.-led war in late 2001.

For Afghanistan to be reinstated, Miro said, it had to meet several key conditions, but the important one was that ``the practice of sports will be free and will be promoted again'' — especially for women.

Time is running out, however, to compete in world tourneys that determine which athletes participate in the Games. Miro said Afghanistan would probably be allowed to send four to six athletes.

Afghan authorities say Afghanistan could field competitors in wrestling, boxing, taekwondo, and track and field.

During his visit, Miro visited a sports complex at Kabul University where women and children did gymnastics, judo and karate displays for the visiting delegates. — AP

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