LONDON, June 5: Norwegian Olympic officials said on Thursday they feared the government's decision to resume whaling could damage next year's Winter Olympic Games, due to be held in the Norwegian resort of Lillehammer, reports Reuter.

The committee organising the Games has received hundreds of letters every day, mainly from Americans, threatening to boycott the Games, its chairman Gerhard Heiberg told a news conference.

”We are worried by these letters and are having a dialogue with the government and together we think we will be able to work out a solution," he said.

Norway announced earlier this month that It would resume commercial hunting of minke whales tn defiance of an International Whaling Commission moratorium. It has set a quota limiting this year's whale catch to Just under 400.

Heiberg said protesters had threatened to boycott Norw egian products, campaign for US athletes, not to compete in the Games tn February and urge Americana not to watch television coverage of the events.