The committee made its decision a few days after British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britons wouldn’t miss the Islamic Republic if it declined to compete.
Iran threatened to boycott the games two weeks ago, objecting to the logo for the games, which was adopted almost four years ago. Mohammad Aliabadi, president of the Iranian National Olympic Committee, insisted that the logo—a jagged image of the numerals 2012—actually spelled out “Zion” and was “racist.”
In a letter to the International Olympic Committee, Aliabadi said the “revolting” logo would “affect the participation of several countries, especially like Iran, which insists on following principles and values.”
But on Sunday, the Mehr news agency quoted Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary general of the Iranian National Olympic Committee, making him the Number two under Aliabadi, buried the boycott threat, saying Iran will have “a glorious presence” at the 2012 games.
It was unknown what kind of conflict might have been wracking the Iranian Olympic committee over Aliabadi’s letter and boycott threat.
In London, Prime Minister Cameron was downright snide about Aliabadi’s boycott threat. “It’s completely paranoid,” he said. “If the Iranians don’t want to come, don’t come. We won’t miss you. It would be a crazy reason for not coming.”
Cameron also said athletes at the games would have to be willing to compete against Israelis. Iran has a rule barring its athletes from doing so. “Cameron said, “They can’t come if they are going to behave like that. You shouldn’t have that approach to sport.”
Olympic rules make that point, forbidding athletes from bowing out because of political, religious or racial objections. But at past Olympics, officials have accepted Iranian assertions that an athlete bowed out of a competition because of an illness and not because he was due to face an Israeli athlete. Cameron’s remark suggested that British officials might press for enforcement of the rules. Under the rules, an entire national team can be booted out the games if one member refuses to compete.
Afsharzadeh, the Iranian Olympic secretary general, rebutted Cameron, saying, “British officials mustn’t comment on the matter. We are going to take part gloriously in the 2012 Olympic Games.”
The International Olympic Committee earlier rejected Iran’s complaint, issuing a brief statement that said, “Our response is as follows: The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012—nothing else. We are surprised that this complaint has been made now.”
The logo drew much unfavorable comment when it was unveiled in June 2007. Many critics called it ugly, even hideous. But no one was heard to raise the “Zion” charge until the Islamic Republic spoke out.