Sudanese born athlete bears the US flag in Beijing

August 8, 2008 (BEIJING) — In a show of strong commitment to Sudan and Darfur particularly, the United States has chosen one of Sudan’s “lost boys”, Lopez Lomong, tonight to be the flag-bearer of the U.S. Olympic team at the opening ceremony in Beijing.

The southern Sudanese born athlete was selected to be the flag bearer by the captains of the U.S. Olympic teams on Wednesday evening. The decision may have been made in response to the revoking of a visa for U.S. gold-medal winning speedskater Joey Cheek to enter China just a few hours before he was scheduled to travel to Beijing.

Cheek is the president and a co-founder of Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur. Lomong is also a member.

“I lived in that life before. That’s why I’m a member of Team Darfur because I was in that situation before and me coming here, I’m here to compete for my country, said the 23 year old runner.

The Chinese government has been criticized for maintaining close diplomatic and trade ties with the Sudan, despite the huge human rights violations and war crimes committed in Darfur. Many Western nations, including the U.S., have tried to get China to put pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the killing, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

A Sudanese medical doctor, a resident of Philadelphia, hailed Lomong’s solidarity with Darfur saying “when he stands up for the people of Darfur he is standing up for his former enemies who were used by Khartoum government to fight his people in southern Sudan.

“Darfurians were used by the Government of Sudan against Southern Sudanese, but the forgiving attitude of Southerners like Lopez Lomong is blurring the lines of division between Sudanese Muslims in the North, and the largely non-Muslim population in Southern Sudan.” said Dr. Abdelgabar Adam.

However, despite the symbolism incarnated in his selection to bear the US flag and lead the US team during the opening ceremony, Lomong remained modest and stated from Beijing he hopes to inspire other kids as he had been inspired by American runner Michael Johnson at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“I hope I am here to inspire other kids that are watching other Olympics as I did in watching the Sydney Olympics,” he said.

The U.S. team, second-largest after China’s with nearly 600 members, was welcomed loudly, with many in the crowd recognizing Bryant and other basketball stars who brought up the rear.

Bush rose from his VIP seat to wave at the athletes, nattily dressed in white trousers, blue blazers, red-white-and-blue-striped ties and white caps. He shacked greeted the American athletes and the first of them was Lopez Lomong.

(ST)