Press TV - Tehran has canceled the Islamic Solidarity Games after Saudi Arabia asked Iran to remove the term Persian Gulf from game medals and brochures.

The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) Secretary General Saleh Gazdar and Technical Committee Chairman Mohammad Bashir Al-Trabosli said in a Tehran meeting that Arab states would only participate in the event if the term Persian Gulf is replaced with the Arabian Gulf or Gulf.

Tehran, however, said it would never retreat from its stance concerning the use of the Persian Gulf and canceled the games despite spending over 10 million US dollars on the project in the past two years, alef reported.

"The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation has always accepted the Iranian stance on the Persian Gulf. We are keeping the Persian Gulf name in all of our brochures, maps and medals," said executive secretary of the 2009 games, Hassan Mirza Aghabeigi.

Negotiations with the Arab delegation are still ongoing in the Iranian city of Isfahan.

The multinational, multisport event was set to be held from October 16 to 30 in Tehran, Isfahan and Mashhad, hosting athletes from various fields including soccer, volleyball, basketball, handball, swimming, water polo, archery, fencing, weightlifting and table tennis.

... Payvand News - 04/28/09 ... --

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