Kuwait dissolves controversial Olympic body

Kuwait has decided to close two sporting bodies, which have been dogged in scandal and clashed repeatedly with international football and Olympics committees.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

26 August, 2016

Kuwait Olympian Fehaid al-Deehani could not represent his country in the Rio Olympics [AFP]

Kuwait has dissolved its Olympic committee and the country's national soccer association, further deepening an ongoing dispute over the direction of sports in the oil-rich country.

Kuwait's public authority for sports announced Thursday it assigned two interim commissions to handle the two bodies and "tackle all irregularities done by the two dismissed boards".

It also alleged there were "financial irregularities" in the two bodies, without elaborating. The statement was carried by the state-run Kuwait News Agency.

FIFA suspended Kuwait from international competition in October while Kuwaiti athletes competed under the Olympic flag at the Rio de Janeiro games.

In June, Kuwait announced a lawsuit against the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland for $1 billion, as well as a local case against its border members seeking some $1.3 billion in damages.

In the Rio Olympics in August, Kuwaiti marksman Fehaid al-Deehani won a gold in shooting. He competed as an independent which included Syrian refugees who did not represent the national team and stateless athletes, competing under the Olympics flag.