2023-12-27T20:57:24+00:00
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/ The Iraqi National Olympic Committee commented on Wednesday on the statements of the father of boxer Youssef Al-Majidi, indicating that Al-Majidi’s apology for representing his country is “unacceptable justifications.”
The committee’s media director, Hussein Ali Hussein, said in a statement received by Shafak News Agency, “The committee is keen, and seriously, to embrace Iraqi sports talents and prepare ways for them to excel in various sports, which is what is happening with the rising Iraqi boxer, Youssef Al-Majidi.”
He added, “The Olympic Committee expresses its surprise at what was published by the father of boxer Al-Majidi, who manages his business and the business of his other two sons in the American professional boxing arena,” indicating that “the Olympic Committee had provided additional facilities to Youssef’s brother, who also practices boxing.”
Ali continued, “The General Secretariat, represented by the Secretary-General, had included the young boxer in the Olympic Care Program for preparing athletes to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games, Paris 2024. It also included him in many external training camps and provided him with all financial and administrative facilities regarding his travel tickets, accommodation, and entry visas to many countries where he trained and participated in official tournaments held.”
Ali Ban explained, “The Olympic Committee had sought to include Al-Majidi in the competitions of the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, but he apologized for that, citing fatigue and preparing for self-training that he was doing himself, after his performance and results declined in his participation in the last Arab Games that were held in Algeria.”
He pointed out that “Al-Majidi’s apology for representing his country cannot be accepted with justifications of long travel distances and exhaustion because these were constants that existed and are not new to be raised today. The Olympic Committee embraces Iraqi youth wherever they reside, but it is not responsible for the distance or proximity of their places of residence. We have the football players, their many participations, training camps and gatherings held by the Olympic and national teams, as the best metaphor we can offer to our young boxer and to his business manager, his father.”
The Olympic Committee Media Director concluded his speech by saying that the Olympic Committee is keen for boxer Youssef Al-Majidi to continue the long-term training curriculum prepared by the General Secretariat and the technical committee staff to prepare him, and to regain his confidence in himself, his audience and his followers.