Iraq has finally qualified at the last moment to participate in the 29th Olympic Games to be held in Beijing. Sports can always ignite a glimmer of hope for a nation and its people despite its lack of any major role.

Last Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reached an agreement with the Iraqi government, allowing the Iraqi Olympic delegation to compete in the Beijing Olympics. The move is undoubtedly a piece of good news to all people in the world at a time when preparation for the Games has entered its final phase.

When the ban on Iraq participating in the Beijing Olympics was announced, the most unforgettable image was of Dana Hussain, a sprinter from the country, bursting into crying with her face covered with two hands. "Who guarantees I can live through 2012?" she sobbed out when her coach sought to console the saddened 21-year-old sprinter with the words "you still can wait to compete in the 2012 Olympics".