Kuwait in last ditch plea for Olympics

A group of Kuwaiti MPs is heading to Switzerland in a bid to persuade the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow the Gulf state to compete in the London 2012 Olympics. Kuwait, banned from Olympic events and funding since 2010 amid allegations of political interference, has proposed a raft of measures aimed at reinstating its athletes’ in the international sporting event, state news agency KUNA reported. The IOC last week partially approved proposed changes to Kuwait’s local sports laws. MPs will now travel to Lausanne to discuss the issue with Olympic officials. The Gulf state is one of only two countries - the other is Ghana - banned from taking part in the Olympics in recent years. Olympic authorities in 2010 suspended the oil-rich country after it failed to amend government legislation that permits officials to interfere in the elections of sporting organisations. The suspension means Kuwaiti athletes do receive Olympic funding and officials are barred from Olympic Games and meetings. Ghana was last year cleared to compete in this summer’s event after its government took steps to amend a controversial sports law. Several sporting bodies and human rights groups have called for Saudi Arabia to be banned from this summer’s Olympics Games for failure to allow female athletes to take part. Much of the attention has focused on Dalma Malhas, an equestrian athlete who competed in the junior Olympics in 2010. In April the head of the kingdom’s sporting body confirmed that no female athletes would be part of Saudi Arabia’s official Olympic team, but he left the door open to Saudi women participating in London independently. An independent athlete will be invited by IOC and compete for Saudi Arabia but without formal Saudi endorsement.