Mahdi Ali has slammed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by branding the upcoming 2012 London Games as “unfair” to Muslim athletes.
The UAE football team made history by qualifying for the Olympics for the first time. But with the Games coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan this summer, Mahdi’s men have the added worry of dealing with mandatory fasting customs.
Thousands of Muslim athletes from all over the world are expected to participate in the sporting spectacular, and Mahdi believes the IOC should have considered the situation to make it a more level playing field.
The UAE Olympic football team coach said: “It is unfair to all Muslim athletes and they [IOC] should have thought about the fact that the Games will be held during the holy month of Ramadan because around 3,000 athletes at the Games will be Muslim.”
