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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Libya allocated Olympic tickets | Sport | The Guardian

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Hundreds of tickets to the London 2012 Olympics have been allocated to Libya in a move that could yet pose potentially awkward diplomatic questions for the British government.

Libya's Olympic authorities, which is headed by Muammar Gaddafi's eldest son, Muhammad were allocated "a few hundred" passes to next year's Games, the organisers confirmed, while refusing to reveal the exact number.

The London organising committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) said in a statement last night: "The Libyan NOC [National Olympic Committee], not an individual, has been allocated a few hundred tickets (not thousands) which they are responsible for distributing to sports organisations and athletes within their country."

Locog is obliged to give tickets to any of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member states who request them.

Britain fears diplomatic embarrassment over attendance by members of the regime, according to the Daily Telegraph, which reported that a spokesperson for the IOC had said NOCs were only suspended when they were "not able to function any more because of government interference".

Muammar Gaddafi and a number of senior figures from his regime are currently subject to an internatonal travel ban, while the International Criminal Court has also sought warrants for their arrest.

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