Iran may boycott London Olympics

THE Iranian Olympic Committee (Iran OC) has said that it will boycott the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games in London because they believe the logo for the events spell the word ‘Zion’.

Zion is a biblical term for Jerusalem, which is not Iran’s favourite place in the world.

Racist or not racist? Not racist at all in my opinion.

Iran has urged other Muslim countries to boycott the games because of the ‘racist logo’. The logos for both the Olympics and Paralympics (which are identical except for colour) just spell out ‘2012’ in jagged letters.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge told the BBC: “We will quietly reply [to Iran and tell them] the logo has nothing to do with racism or any political connotation.”

The London Organising Committee (Locog) added: “The logo was launched in 2007 following testing and consultation. We are surprised that this complaint has been made now.”

I’m surprised that Iran has waited this long to complain as well. I remember that when the logo for the games was launched there was quite a bit of controversy, but it was over how ugly some people said it was or that the animated version caused fits. If Iran had this bigger grievance then they should have raised it earlier.

If Iran did boycott the games they wouldn’t be missed. Not by me anyway. Iran only won two medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (gold in the Men’s 80kg Taekwondo and bronze in the Men’s 60kg freestyle Wrestling), but did win 14 medals (five gold, six silver and three bronze) at the Paralympics. They finished 51^st and 22^nd in the respective medal tables, so they are not exactly the Olympic powerhouses of U.S.A., China, Russia or Great Britain and the like are they?

This is not the first time Iran has kicked off about a sporting event. Back in July 2010, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticised Paul the Octopus several times during a speech in the Iranian capital Tehran. He ranted about Paul being used as a means to spread “Western propaganda and superstition.” Doesn’t he appreciate the fact that we were just having a bit of fun? Also, Ahmadinejad gave this speech on the weekend of 24-25 July 2010. The World Cup Final – which saw Paul’s eight correct and final prediction – took place on 11 July 2010. Nothing like getting in earlier on stuff that matters to you is there Mahmoud? 

In short, I believe that if Iran wants to boycott the London games we should let them. Besides, do we really want a bunch of anti-Semites whose leader denies the Holocaust competing in our country in the greatest event on the planet?

London 2012 Mascots for the Gold!

THE Wednesday just gone (May 19) I finally got to see the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

Olympic mascot Wenlock (left) & Paralympic mascot Mandeville (right)

Our Olympic mascot is called Wenlock after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which held the forerunner to the games we love today. It was from watching these games in 1890 that Pierre de Coubertin was inspired to create the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Our Paralympic mascot is called Mandeville after the Buckinghamshire village Stoke Mandeville. The village is famous for holding the forerunner to today’s Paralympics.

I think you’ll agree that the names are spot on.

They have a camera for an eye and taxi style headlights. Wenlock has friendship bracelets in the colour of the Olympic rings (that’s what to look for if you have trouble telling them apart) and Mandeville has a pink stopwatch, symbolising that you can always do better.

The pair originated from a Bolton steelworks that was helping to build the stadium.

But not everybody is a fan of the duo and they are perfectly entitled to their opinion. But let me tell you why I am holding a torch for them (no pun intended).

Firstly, nobody has ever had mascots quite like Wenlock and Mandeville before. A vast majority of the previous Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been 2D animals. We could quite easily have had a Bulldog and or a Lion, but Bulldogs aren’t cute and England has already used a Lion in World Cup Willie (1966 World Cup).

Secondly, they are supposed to be aimed at young kids. The whole idea of our games is to leave a lasting impression on the country, and the only way to do this is to please the young kids.

Lastly, I love the design of the two. It shows that their designers were thinking outside the box.

These mascots will always be remembered, hopefully as the first of a new generation of mascot design for all future sporting events for decades to come.