President of the International Olympic Committee a minute of silence to be held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Games attack during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics, despite the standing request of the families of the 11 Israeli Olympic team members who were held hostage and murdered by the Palestinian group Black September. Calls for such a commemoration marking 40 years since the massacre had also come from Jewish organizations worldwide and politicians from the United States, Israel, Canada, Italy, Australia and Germany. He and the IOC instead opted for a smaller ceremony in London that took place on 6
Yugoslavia at the 1972 Summer Olympics Yugoslavia at the 1972 Summer Olympics Athletes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. 126 competitors, 113 men and 13 women, took part in 73 events in 15 sports. Men's 800 metres Men's 1500 metres Men's 5000 metres Men's Light Middleweight (– 71 kg) Five cyclists represented Yugoslavia in 1972. Yugoslavia won the second Olympic handball tournament. In the first round, they defeated all three opponents (Japan, the United States, and Hungary to take first place in the group and join seven other teams in advancing to the second round.