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Kuwait Sues IOC for $1 Billion Over Olympic Ban

Kuwait has sued the IOC for suspending the country from the Olympics based on "government interference" with the national Olympic committee.

In October, the International Olympic Committee suspended the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee for what it deemed to be government interference with the nation's Olympic body. The IOC had given Kuwait until October 27th to amend legislation it found to compromise the independence of the Olympic committee; however, the Kuwaiti government did not do so. Kuwait did sue 14 members of the board of the national Olympic committee seeking $1.3 billion in damages for "corrupting the Olympic movement in Kuwait and interfering in sports affairs." This did nothing to reverse the ban, however, and now Kuwait has turned around and sued the IOC for $1 billion.

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The IOC suspended Kuwait before for similar reasons in 2010, but reinstated the country in time for the 2012 Olympics in London. The current ban is not expected to be lifted in time for the Games in Rio later this summer. As a result, Kuwait is suing the IOC in a Swiss court for what Kuwait's minister of information and youth, Sheikh Salman al-Hmoud al-Sabah, called an "unjustifiable" decision.

From the AP:

Kuwait "showed a sincere desire to cooperate, but all to no avail," he said. "We were put in an embarrassing situation in the eyes of international sports circles and looked at as if we were outlaws."

From Reuters:

"It is totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this unfair way and is barred from international sports activities without conducting an appropriate investigation."

As it stands now, eligible Kuwaiti athletes can still compete at Rio, but they would have to do so under the Olympic flag.

[AP | Reuters]