No Irish Olympic Boycott: Hickey

The President of the Olympic Council of Ireland has quashed the possibility of the Irish team boycotting the opening ceremony of this summer’s Games in Beijing.

Speaking on RTÉ radio, Pat Hickey said there was "no question" of any boycott from Irish athletes.

China's human rights record has come under fire since the country was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games, while the recent crackdown on protests in Tibet have caused huge, worldwide condemnation.

As a result, demonstrators have disrupted the UK, French and US stages of the Olympic torch replay.

Mr Hickey said whether politicians decided to attend the opening ceremony was of no consequence to the Games organisers, who are focused solely on the athletes.

He went on to accuse politicians of hypocrisy for continuing to trade with China and said the storm was an effort to make sport "the fall guy" for the whole issue.

In separate news, the Dalai Lama has reiterated his support for the decision to grant Beijing the games.

In spite of the unrest in Tibet, the exiled spiritual leader told reporters in Tokyo that China deserved to host the event, as the country is the most populous, ancient nation.

(NS)