Islamic games cancelled over ‘Persian Gulf’ tag

The Riyadh-based Islamic Solidarity Federation on Sunday called off the athletic games planned for Tehran in April because of Iran's use of the term "Persian Gulf" on winners' medals.

The ISF, headed by Saudi Olympic Federation president Prince Sultan bin Fahd, said after an emergency board meeting that Iran's local organizing committee "unilaterally took some decisions without asking the federation by writing some slogans on the medals and pamphlets of the games."

Iran "did not abide by the rules of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF)" and "did not follow the decisions taken by the general assembly of the federation at a previous meeting in Riyadh," it said in a statement.

The games were being called off because of the dispute, the ISF said.

Iran's committee for the games criticized the decision through its website.

"In spite of convincing arguments made to the ISSF executive committee (by Iran's committee), regrettably and without presenting any logical reasons, the ISSF committee decided not to hold the games with Iran as the host," it said.

Swine flu worries and the dispute over Tehran's insistence on using "Persian Gulf" for the waters between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula had already caused the games to be postponed since an initial planned date of last October.

The Arab countries of the oil-rich region insist on the term "Arabian Gulf" or simply the "Gulf."

In spite of convincing arguments made to the ISSF executive committee, regrettably and without presenting any logical reasons, the ISSF committee decided not to hold the games with Iran as the host

Iranian committee for the games