LONDON (AP) — A dozen people opposed to the Syrian government are protesting the presence at the Olympics of an equestrian rider whose father is under U.S. sanction for supporting the regime of President Bashar Assad.
Ahmad Saber Hamsho competed Saturday in the show jumping individual qualifier, producing a clear round in good time on a horse called Wonderboy.
In Syria, explosions have shaken the capital city of Damascus, and rebels appear to be renewing their offensive in the city.
Hamsho has been quoted in the British media as supporting Assad. But he says he is only representing Syria, and he is dismissing the protesters outside the gate as “stupid.”
He says: “They should be proud of us athletes who are representing Syria.”
