Calls for Syria Olympic chief ban

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader and competitor in the Tokyo 1964 Games, said the president of the Syrian Olympic Committee should play no part in London 2012.

Footage purportedly showing the continued shelling of Homs - a day after Syria agreed to implement a UN-backed peace plan - has been posted on YouTube.

ITV News has no way of independently verifying the content of this clip.

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Feras Moula, Syria Olympic Committee's secretary general, said that questioning the athletes from Syria who want to compete in this summer's Olympics is "flawed".

He said: "Questioning the legitimacy of athletes that are due to take part in the Olympic games is flawed. Like any athletes their main aim and goal is to compete, this is what they hope for. They want to be able to take part in winning games and securing medals."

Footage purportedly showing Syrian goalkeeper and activist Abdel Basset Saroot injured by mortar sharpnel in Homs has been posted on YouTube.

In the video a man can be heard saying: "Homs, Al Khaldyia neighbourhood. The injury of Abdel Basset Saroot, these houses have been shelled, quick let's move from this location, quick, quick, we need to leave before another shell falls." Abdel Basset Saroot responds, saying: "I'm fine, I'm fine."

ITV News has no way of independently verifying the content of this clip.

General Mowaffak Joumaa, Syrian Olympic Committee President, said his country are "determined" to take part in this summer's London 2012 Games.

He said: "We have never been absent from any Olympic games in the past apart from the (1932) Los Angeles games. And of course we are committed and determined to take part and we shall not be absent from the London games."

Syrian goalkeeper Abdelbasset Saroot said: "Our message to the International Olympic Committee is that half of the Syrian teams going to play matches or take part in the Olympic will not know much about what is happening here in Homs.

"The authorities hide the news from them …you have to view those athletes as cut off from reality … they don’t know the extent of the shelling … they don’t know that a shell could be hitting their mother, farther or a relative at any moment in Baba Amr.

"They don’t know that a fellow Syrian footballer Ahmed Al Shedan (may he rest in peace) was martyred here in Homs, he was a star. They don’t know that other athletes families have been killed and massacred."