Kuwait welcomed back to Asian Games with OCA warning

FILE — Kuwait’s flagbearer Fehaid Aldeehani leads their delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in Incheon on September 19, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JUNG YEON-JE / AFP PHOTO / JUNG YEON-JE

Kuwait was warned by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday to stop its “world record” of government interference in sport or face being exiled for a third time.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week provisionally lifted its ban on Kuwait, allowing the Gulf state’s athletes to march under their own flag at Saturday’s Asian Games opening ceremony in Jakarta.

But the IOC said that despite its “gesture of goodwill” the reasons for its original suspension remained valid.

“This is a world record for government interference in the Olympic movement, no country is like this,” OCA director general Husain Al Musallam told AFP after an executive board meeting discussed the matter in Jakarta on Saturday.

“We are very happy for the Kuwait National Olympic Committee and for the athletes,” he said.

“We hope this will not happen in the future and the Kuwait government will respect the road map they have agreed with the IOC to lead to fresh, clean, transparent and democratic elections based on each sport’s statutes approved by their respective international bodies.”

World sports bodies led by the IOC and FIFA suspended Kuwait in October 2015 for a second time since 2010 for political interference in sport.

The IOC said that in reinstating Kuwait provisionally that it “acknowledged the progress” and the “positive discussions with the Government of Kuwait”.

Al Musallam said Kuwait did not have much time to prove it was trying to meet IOC requirements.

“We are going to review the situation with the IOC on October 3 and 4 to see if any of the agreement has been implemented on the ground, or if there is nothing,” said Al Musallam.

“We really hope this thing will be finished.”