Official of OC Denounces Sanctions Slapped by U.S. and Hostile Forces against Sports Field of DPRK

 Pyongyang, February 13 (KCNA) -- Kang Ryong Gil, deputy secretary general of the DPRK Olympic Committee (OC), was interviewed by reporters of the Pyongyang bureaus of the AFP and the APTN and KCNA on Monday as regards the sanctions on the sports field of the DPRK.
    Kang said:
    Sports is of great significance in improving physical and spiritual strength of the human being and promoting the understanding, friendship and collaboration between peoples. For this reason, all countries, nations and peoples on the earth regard sports as noble and sacred one and show their constant interests in and exert all efforts to the development of sports.
    It is the policy of the government of DPRK and the aspiration of our people to build a sports power and a civilized power by improving physical fitness of the people and developing sports of the country.
    However, to our regret, hostile acts are being conducted blatantly on global scale to put the brake on the policy of the DPRK government and hinder the aspiration of the people to develop its sports.
    The United States and hostile forces have fabricated six illegal "sanctions resolutions" against the DPRK at the UN Security Council since 2006 with the aim to isolate and stifle the DPRK over nuclear issue and they railroaded the "Resolution" 2270 even including the recreational sports equipment in the sanctions items while adding the luxury goods in March 2016.
    And certain countries, under the undisguised name of implementing the "sanctions resolution", made public decisions and follow-up regulations defining the items of embargo to the DPRK and imposed to forbid export to it such equipment as ski, yacht, mountaineering boots, snow motor, snow groomer, etc. and even billiard table and other recreation materials.
    On the other hand, the U.S. and the hostile forces are creating obstacle blocking the bank transfer to prevent the fund assistance which the IOC and sports federations provide for development of the Olympic movement and sports in member countries.
    Here lies the vicious ulterior political scheme to prevent exchange of sports between the DPRK and other countries, gradually limit its participation in international competitions including the Olympics, push it aside out of the modern civilized world and further seek a regime change.
    We strongly condemn this as despicable, illegal and immoral act completely contradicting to the ideal of the Olympics to build better and peaceful world through sports that promote physical and spiritual development of the human beings and to the UN Charter which stipulates the provision of the rights to sovereignty, equality and development of independent state.
    A few European countries and their sports ware businesses are blindly dragged into the wicked attempts of politicizing sports and refrain from providing us with sports equipment including ski, yacht, sports firearms or ammunitions, archeries, only to make their fame damaged for themselves.
    The thing is that sports firearms can never be turned into rockets nor the rockets be fired from them.
    The world, through the abnormal situation taking place before our eyes, should squarely see that sanctions are nothing but a cruel and uncivilized act against humanity and civilization and an act of destroying the modern civilization as well as making the whole world turn back to the medieval dark land.
    No argument can justify the brigandish logic that the country being regarded as hostile by the U.S. should abandon its right to sports development and the history of international sports will surely count it to do a sum. -0-