Syrian general denies facing Olympic ban

DAMASCUS - Head of Syria's National Olympic Committee General Mowaffak Joumaa said he has not received any official response from the British government about weather allowing or banning him from entering the UK to attend the upcoming Olympics.

Joumaa's remarks came a day after the BBC reported that Britain refused to issue a visa for the head of Syria's National Olympic Committee to travel to London for next month's Olympic Games.

Joumaa said that in case the ban becomes official, he will turn to the International Olympics Committee in that regard.

The ban came apparently because Joumaa is regarded as a close friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is facing mounting international criticism over his leadership's alleged crackdown on opponents.

The British Home Office, which manages visas and backgrounds check, declined to comment on the report.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, the deputy of Syria's National Olympic Committee has lamented previous statements by British officials that members of the Syrian delegation to the London 2012 Olympics might get a ban over their affiliation with the leadership of Assad.

It's no longer pleasant for some British politicians to make statements regarding banning the officials of Syria's Olympic committee from attending the London Olympics, Maher Khayata told Xinhua. "Sport should be kept away from the political disputes," Khayata said.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has recently said that Syrian delegation members with connections to the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad will be denied entry.

"We are surprised by such statements," Khayata said.

Khayata said in Syria people say sport is a crossing point for peoples to meet and spread love and peace, voicing hopes that the International Olympic Committee would persuade the regulating committee of the London games to allow in the officials that would like to attend.

Everywhere, athletes are the sons of their countries and not confined to their governments or leadership, Khayata said, adding that the Syrian athletes represent all spectra of the Syrian people.

Syrian athlete Ranya Zein El-Deen in the track and field has been qualified, in addition to two swimmers including man and woman. high jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal was also qualified along with others.

Speaking to Xinhua, Ghazal said he had prepared well for the Olympics and that he will soon be leaving to prep camp abroad for final preparations.

The Syrian-British relations have been affected by the 16-month-old unrest in Syria. The Syrian charge d'affaires in London has already been expelled on the heels of mounting condemnation of the escalating violence in Syria that has evolved into a bloody armed insurgency.