DUBAI: The International Olympic Committee has suspended Kuwait for the second time in five years over government interference in the country's Games committee, but the decision was rejected by Kuwait's Public Authority for Youth and Sport. The IOC said yesterday it met the government and the Kuwait Olympic Committee (KOC) on Oct 12 to resolve the issue over a piece of sports legislation that was seen as threatening the autonomy of the Olympic body but the talks proved fruitless.

"The Olympic Movement in Kuwait has faced a number of issues to preserve its autonomy, in particular due to recently amended sports legislation in Kuwait," the IOC added. It said an Oct 27 deadline was set at this month's meeting "to resolve the issues at hand or, at least, freeze the application of the conflictive provisions of the sports legislation until a reasonable and mutually acceptable solution could be found".

But with the government of Kuwait not taking any action, the IOC proceeded with the suspension. The move means Kuwait is barred from taking part in "any activity connected with the Olympic Movement or exercise any right conferred upon it by the Olympic Charter or the IOC". All IOC funding to the Kuwait body is cut off, while the IOC said it "reserves the right to take further measures" regarding the participation of Kuwaiti athletes in the Olympics and Olympic-related events.

PAYS rejected the IOC's "unjust" suspension of KOC, which it said was a decision that was "plotted inside Kuwait" and aimed at undermining Kuwait's sovereignty. The authority's board members, in a statement, held the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), KOC and the local sport clubs supporting them responsible for the suspension of Kuwait sport. The complaints of OCA, KOC and allied clubs to the international sport organizations triggered conflicts between Kuwait and these organizations, it added.

PAYS "condemns this unjust decision which was plotted inside Kuwait and executed abroad", and was based on what the IOC claimed was the "contradiction of the laws of the state of Kuwait with the Olympic Charter". The suspension decision, said the board members, was jeopardizing the rights of Kuwaiti youth and undermined Kuwait's rights to maintain its sovereignty and independence of its laws, as well as to control the state from abroad.

The authority, blaming OCA, KOC and the local clubs supporting them, said Kuwait did not spare any effort to support sport and athletes. Kuwait, said the board members, provided a headquarters for OCA and supported its sportsman to occupy senior sport positions, including presidency posts. Those sport officials should have defended the Kuwaiti sport, said the authority, but rather collaborated with the international organizations in suspending sport in Kuwait, "thus undermining the independence of Kuwait and its laws". PAYS said it would continue its staunch defense of sport in Kuwait. It said this would be an opportunity to address all problems marring most games in order to put the Kuwaiti sport movement on the right path.

If the suspension is not lifted before the Olympics in Rio, Kuwaiti athletes would be barred from representing their country at the games. The IOC would consider giving them special dispensation to compete as individuals under the Olympic flag. "The IOC hopes that all concerned parties will soon reach a satisfactory solution to rectify this very unfortunate situation in the interest of the Olympic Movement in Kuwait and the athletes' participation in the numerous international sporting events coming up, in particular the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016," the statement said.

Kuwait was also banned in 2010 over a similar dispute but was reinstated before the 2012 London Olympics. The country's football federation was also banned by soccer's governing body FIFA earlier this month over government interference in the running of the Kuwait FA. - Agencies