Saudi Arabia faces possible ban from Olympics

Saudi Arabia faces possible ban from 2012 Olympics The International Olympic Committee is facing calls to ban Saudi Arabia from London 2012 after the country's Olympic chief ruled out sending women athletes to the Games. Saudi Olympic Committee president Prince Nawaf bin Faisal said he was "not endorsing" female participation in London as part of the country's official delegation.
Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, said the stance was unacceptable. "Saudi Arabia's current refusal to send sportswomen to the Olympics puts them directly at odds with one of the IOC's fundamental principles as laid out within the Olympic Charter," she said.
"It reads that, 'Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.'
"If today's reports are to be believed, we would expect the IOC to defend the Olympic Charter and exclude Saudi Arabia from IOC membership and the London 2012 Olympic Games."
Nawaf told a news conference that the Saudi Olympic Committee would not endorse female participation at the London Games. However, he added that if women entered as individuals on their own, Saudi officials would ensure that their involvement did not violate Islamic sharia law.
Nawaf 's comments appear to open the way for the IOC to endorse some female Saudi participation under the neutral Olympic flag, but if that occurred it would raise serious doubts about the efficacy of the Saudi Olympic Committee.
The IOC wants the London Olympics to be the first Games at which all 204 countries include women in their official delegations. The IOC has been in lengthy discussions with those countries who have never before sent women to the Games.
Jacques Rogge wants full gender representation as a final legacy of his 12-year presidency of the IOC, a term that expires next year.
Thursday night, an IOC spokesman said officials were still hoping to achieve full female participation despite the news reports emanating from Saudi Arabia.
"We are still talking and working to ensure the participation of Saudi women at the Olympic Games in London," the spokesman said.
This year Qatar has agreed to send a female athlete swimmer, and Brunei has indicated that 400-metre runner Maziah Mahusin could be selected for their team. If those countries sent female athletes, Saudi Arabia would be the sole male-only delegation.
Nawaf's comments appear to be a serious about-turn by conservative royal rulers, who had earlier talked about allowing a token female contingent to compete at the London Olympics.
Last month the Saudi crown prince, Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, said women would be allowed to compete as long as the sports met the standards of "women's decency" and did not contradict Islamic laws.