International Olympic body could ban Kenya over government interference
What you need to know:
- Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario transferred NOCK’s duties to Sports Kenya.
- In 2012, India was suspended for corruption in the election of Olympic officials in the country. The ban lasted through the first days of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
- The IOC recently gave Sri Lanka until the end of the year to revise its sports legislation or face suspension from the Olympic movement.
Kenya risks sanctions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following Thursday’s directive by the government to disband the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).
Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario transferred NOCK’s duties to Sports Kenya.
According to Olympic Charter, IOC does not condone political or government interference in the National Olympic Committee activities.
Chapter Four of the Charter, which deals with National Olympic Committees, guards against any external interference.
“National Olympic Committees must be completely independent and autonomous and entirely removed from political, religious or commercial influence to conform to the rules and regulations of the IOC,” states Article 24 of the Olympic Charter.
Several countries around the world have over the years been suspended by IOC due to political interference from their relevant national governments.
Kuwait missed this year’s Olympics after it was suspended on October 27, 2015 due to undue government interference.
Kuwait athletes were however allowed to compete under the banner of the IOC and referred to as Independent Olympic Athletes.
The nation had previously been suspended between 2010 and 2012 due to government legislation that permitted the state to interfere in elections of sporting organisations.
In 2008, Iraq was suspended from taking part in the Beijing Olympics due to the political interference by the government in the sports movement in Iraq.
The Iraqi government took the decision to disband the country’s National Olympic Committee which was the final straw for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Afghanistan was suspended by the IOC in 1999 and subsequently banned from the Sydney Games in 2000 due to discrimination against women under the authoritarian rule of the Taliban and its prohibition of sports of any kind.
Afghanistan was however reinstated in 2004 following the fall of the Taliban regime. Ghana was also suspended by IOC in 2011 after political interference and missed out on the London 2012 Olympics.
In 2012, India was suspended for corruption in the election of Olympic officials in the country. The ban lasted through the first days of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The IOC recently gave Sri Lanka until the end of the year to revise its sports legislation or face suspension from the Olympic movement.
