Kuwait Olympic Committee thanks Olympic movement for support

Kuwait Olympic Committee was welcomed back into the Olympic Council of Asia at the 37th OCA General Assembly on Sunday.

Kuwait NOC was suspended by the International Olympic Committee in October 2015 due to government interference but the IOC Executive Board provisionally lifted the suspension on August 16.

This allowed Kuwait to compete in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2 under their own flag and with the national anthem ready for the victory podium should Kuwaiti athletes win a gold medal.

The Secretary General of Kuwait Olympic Committee, Obaid Z. Al-Anzi, made a point of thanking the OCA General Assembly delegates for their support.

“I am very happy to be here in Jakarta to represent my country Kuwait and with the Kuwait flag,” he said.

“On behalf of the Kuwait Olympic Committee I would like to thank the International Olympic Committee, the OCA and all the National Olympic Committees of Asia for protecting the autonomy of the Kuwait Olympic Committee. We are looking forward to the process being completed.”

Although the lifting of the suspension is provisional, the IOC will check on the situation in the near future with a view to lifting the suspension permanently.

The OCA President, HE Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, himself from Kuwait, said: “We are happy that the Kuwait flag is back to complete the 45 flags of the OCA.”

At the 18th Asian Games opening ceremony on Saturday night, Kuwaiti athletes and officials marched behind their flag.