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    Friday, January 29, 2016

    Greeks football players pay migrants tribute


    A Greek football match was delayed on Friday when players staged a sit-down protest in a moving tribute to migrants who have lost their lives trying to reach the country's Aegean islands.
    The show of solidarity took place before the kickoff of the second-tier Football League match between home side AEL Larissa and Acharnaikos in the Thessalian city of Larissa.
    As the crowd waited for the match to start all 22 outfield players - as well as coaches, officials and substitutes - sat down for two minutes in respect of the hundreds of refugees who have died trying to escape conflict or persecution in countries like Syria and Iraq.
    Twenty-four people attempting to cross to Europe from Turkey drowned when their boat sank off a Greek island on Thursday.
    The gesture came 24 hours after it was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the flame for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will pass through a refugee camp in Athens and one refugee will be among the torch bearers.
    The torch will be lit in Greece's ancient Olympia on April 21 before leaving for the South American country 12 days later.
    "The Olympic flame will pass through this camp here and will be shown to the refugees," IOC head Thomas Bach said during a visit to the Eleonas camp for refugees and migrants in Athens, which houses mostly Afghans and Iranians.
    "One of the refugees will be invited to carry the torch."
    The IOC has already said top athletes who are refugees with no home country to represent will be allowed to compete at the Rio Games under the Olympic flag.
    A group of 18 members of the European Parliament, including 14 Greek politicians, have already called for this year's Nobel Peace prize to go to residents of Greece's Aegean islands for their efforts in handling an influx of migrants and refugees.
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