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Originally published Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 12:00 AM

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Olympics / Basketball

Spain basketball players say gesture wasn't racist

Players on Spain's Olympic basketball team defended a photo in an ad showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.

By The Associated Press

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BEIJING — Players on Spain's Olympic basketball team defended a photo in an ad showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.

The photo, which has been running as a newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows all 15 players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, a Spanish courier company, and is being used only in Spain.

"It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way," said Spain center Pau Gasol, who plays for the L.A. Lakers. "I'm sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive."

Guard Jose Manuel Calderon said the team was responding to a request from the photographer, and felt "it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture."

Gasol said it was "absurd" people were calling the gesture racist.

International media, however, criticized the photo.

"This was clearly inappropriate, but we understand the Spanish team intended no offence and has apologised," Emmanuelle Moreau, a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee, said in an e-mail. "The matter rests there as far as the IOC is concerned."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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