Scotland planning to go it alone at Rio Games

Andy Murray. AP FILE PHOTO

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Scotland’s sports minister says it will have its own team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 if it votes for independence next year.

Scottish athletes currently compete for Britain, with tennis player Andy Murray and cyclist Chris Hoy helping them win around 18 percent of the host team’s medals at last year’s London Games.

However, Shona Robison tells the BBC on Wednesday that “we’re comfortable and assured Scotland will have its own Olympic and Paralympic team” if it is made an independent nation in the referendum on Sept. 18, 2014.

Robison says Scotland would fulfill the criteria to be an Olympic nation, as it would be an independent state recognized by the international community, would have a solid sporting structure, and have at least five national federations affiliated to international federations of Olympic sports.