Olympics chiefs back down on politics ban

By Adrian Croft

LONDON (Reuters) - British Olympic chiefs backed down on Sunday after their plan to bar UK athletes from speaking out about politics or human rights during the Beijing Olympics ran into strong criticism.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) said earlier that, to be a member of the British team, athletes would have to agree to a contract stating that they "are not to comment on any politically sensitive issues" involving the host country.

After a barrage of criticism from politicians and media, the BOA acknowledged it may have gone too far and would look again at the contract.

"This is not our intention, nor is it our desire to restrict athletes' freedom of speech and the final agreement will reflect this," BOA Chief Executive Simon Clegg said in a statement.

The BOA's proposed contract was attacked by the Mail on Sunday which said it effectively gagged athletes from speaking out about politics, human rights or Beijing's rule of Tibet.

The newspaper likened the clause to an order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute at a match in Berlin in 1938.

Conservative sports spokesman Jeremy Hunt demanded the BOA withdraw the "ridiculous requirement", saying British athletes must have the right to speak freely in China.

The BOA said it had only wanted to draw athletes' attention to a rule in the Olympic charter barring political propaganda at Olympic venues. But it acknowledged its proposed contract may have gone further than that.