RIYADH,
February 9 (IslamOnline.net) – Saudi Arabia is to host the first
Pan-Islamic games April 8-20, with organizers declaring Christian
athletes of Muslim countries can take part in the first Islamic
sports’ event, to be held under the title “Islam is Peace”.
“Christian
athletes will be allowed to take part in the Pan-Islamic Games, a step
demonstrating the merciful Islamic tenets,” a source at the Islamic
Solidarity Games Tournament told IslamOnline.net.
The
decision to hold the Games in Saudi Arabia in 2005 was taken by the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) during its meeting in Bamako,
Mali, in June 2001, under the title “Islamic Solidarity Games”.
No
conditions were set on the participation of non-Muslim athletes in the
games, though the competition is primarily held among Muslim
countries, the source said.
It
added that playgrounds were already named outside the Saudi sacred
places, as non-Muslims are not allowed inside sacred places.
The
Islamic games are due to be hosted by the Saudi cities of Makkah, Taif,
Madinah and Jeddah.
The
competitions include athletics, swimming, diving, water ball,
swordplay, tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, indoor football for
the mentally-handicapped, basketball, volleyball, handball, taekwondo,
karate, and horsemanship.
Islamic
Participation
Some
53 Muslim countries have already agreed to participate in the games
with only Albania, Togo and Uzbekistan to be absent from the event.
Some 6,380 athletes are expected to take part.
President
of the Saudi Youth Welfare and head of the Higher Organizing
Committee, Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, expected the number
of athletes taking part in the event to reach 8,000.
Expressing
his happiness Saudi Arabia is to host such a unique event, Prince
Sultan said the Islamic event is sought to be a real field for serious
competitions.
Saudi
Sports Unions have sought some 48 million rials ($13 million) to
provide necessary equipments for the event, to make it on the level of
world events.
Heads
of sports missions of the countries expected to take part in the event
arrived in Jeddah Sunday, February 6, to draw lots of the collective
games.
High
Hopes
High
hopes are pinned on the event to help enhance solidarity ties among
OIC member states and highlight the Islamic sports presence on the
world arena.
“first-class
teams will take part in the tournament in order to promote the
technical benefits for all participating Islamic countries,” Prince
Sultan said.
Similar
hopes were echoed by Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic
Committee, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Rashid Al-Khalifa.
“The
Islamic Solidarity Games Tournament is the biggest sports event that
brings together Muslim athletes from all around the world,” he said.
“The
event is also a chance to highlight the meanings of Islamic
brotherhood in such a sporting competition,” he added.
