1.
CUs INTERIOR: President of Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, Abrahim Ordia speaking to reporter, London, U.K. (3 shots)
1.04

2.
CU: Edmonton Commonwealth Games President Maury van Vliet and reporter
1.12

3.
CU: Van Vliet talking to reporter. (English speech)
2.02


ORDIA: "If you don't want us, we're ready to go away. There's no two ways about it. You talk about the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth this, Commonwealth that....you've got to see what the Commonwealth....all the Commonwealth nations are doing. They are thwarting our efforts in this respect, and they're not helping the issue at all, and they're making things far, far more difficult. And you quote.....theories -- we're not interested in theories. We want to see practice. We want to see what is right. I live on the continent of Africa, and I think I'm fairly well-informed about what obtains in that part of Africa. No half-measures will be acceptable to us. No hand-picked teams will be acceptable to us. Sport will be totally integrated. Remove the apartheid laws in sport. Full stop"



But Games President Maury van Vliet, also in London, says the difficulties were resolved at this year's Prime Ministerial Gleaneagles conference.



REPORTER: "Given the enormous size of this problem and the shortness of time, how confident do you feel about getting full participation in Edmonton?"



VAN VLIET: "I'm very confident. I have been right from the start. I know that there have been some difficulties. I think that these have been resolved now, and I don't think that one could ask for a much more definitive statement than was made at the Gleaneagles conference. I think that everyone should almost be joyful if they're interested in sport that this statement has been made and has been agreed to by all the countries in the Commonwealth. So we're making preparation for about 2,000 athletes from at least 36 or 38 countries. We think it will be the greatest Commonwealth Games ever."




Initials RH/2230


SPORT: COMMONWEALTH GAMES
REPORTER: PHIL LINES

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The President of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, Mr. Abraham Ordia, is still doubtful about African participation in the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, next year. In Britain for a meeting at the Commonwealth Games Federation headquarters in London, he spoke to a reporter about his doubts. These centre on New Zealand's participation -- and the sporting links between New Zealand and South Africa.