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Eleven members of the Iraq Olympic delegation arrived in Beijing on Monday night, four days before the official start of the Games.

Four Iraqi athletes and seven officials walked out of the Beijing Capital International Airport at the midnight, joining a short celebration held by about 20 local Iraqis waving their national flags.

The four athletes are two male rowers, one male discus thrower and a female sprinter. The plane (EK 308) they boarded landed at about 11:00 p.m. Beijing time.

An Iraqi athlete walks out of the Beijing Capital International Airport at the midnight of August 4, with an iraqi national flag in her hand. [Xinhua]

Befhar Mustasa, head of the delegation and the president of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, told Xinhua at the airport that he felt extremely proud of leading the Iraq delegation to the Beijing Olympics despite going through twists and turns.

"Our participation to the Games is a success of Iraqi people and the athletes who will gain Olympic experience," Mustasa noted.

Dana Hassen, the only female member of the delegation, said it had realized her dream of competing at the Olympics and she was extremely happy to come to Beijing.

"It does not matter how we will achieve at the Games, the important thing is we are here," the female sprinter who will run in 100 meters and 200 meters said.

Haider Nassier and Hammza Hussen will be allowed to compete in the men's double sculls since there are still places for them in the event.

"They (the rowers) have trained for five or six years and we are all very happy to be here at last," President of Iraqi Rowing Federation who accompanied the rowing pair told Xinhua.

"Now I am here and I don't care the last. We will be in the opening ceremony," said Haider Nassier, adding that he did not care the result but hoped to win.

"I will take the core thing and do with it. I am ready for the Games," Hammza Hussen said.

Iraqi athletes walk out of the Beijing Capital International Airport at the midnight of August 4.

Iraq's ambassador to China Mohammad Ismail told Xinhua at the airport that the performance of these athletes in Beijing will greatly encourage the Iraqi people.

The ambassador also confirmed that one judoka, one weightlifter and one archer were still in Kuwait, waiting for a decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on whether they could finally meet their events.

The decision will be given by the IOC on Tuesday, according to Ismail.

Long waiting for the delegation, some Iraqi people gathered and lined with a huge national flag beside the Olympic pass at the arrival gate, exclaiming,"Iraq! Iraq! Iraq!"

Ali, an Iraqi student who learns Chinese at the Capital Normal University in Beijing, told Xinhua that they were overwhelmed by happiness and joy when they knew the IOC's permission last week.

"Although many excellent Iraqi athletes such as footballers and swimmers could not come, we feel very proud and we will celebrate. We still hope that all of them could come," Ali said.

At the airport, the Iraqi athletes were also welcomed by a Chinese sportswear company who sponsored the team with clothing, shoes and other equipment.

The IOC lifted the ban on Iraq competing at the Beijing Olympics at night of July 29 when an Iraqi government delegation and the IOC reached an agreement at a crisis meeting in the IOC's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Iraq pledged to hold free elections for its national Olympic committee under international observation, paving the way for the IOC to rescind its suspension of the country's Olympic association.

The IOC announced the suspension in May citing political interference in Iraq's national Olympic committee, which the Iraqi government had dissolved over allegations of corruption.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)