Olympic Committee lifts ban on India

Athletes can compete for the country now, says spokesperson.

NEW DELHI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday reinstated India, allowing its athletes to compete under their own flag in Sochi, said officials from both sides.

"The ban has been lifted,” said Rajeev Mehta, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general.

“There was an (IOC) executive committee meeting early this morning.”

An IOC spokesman confirmed the ban had been lifted, adding that India could now compete under its own flag at the Sochi Winter Olympics.



"The decision means Indian athletes can compete for their national Olympic committee,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. “They can walk behind their national flag at the closing ceremony.

"The Indian flag will be raised in the village, at a time to be announced.”

India's three athletes have been competing at the Games under the IOC flag as a result of the country's suspension.

The IOC froze India's membership in December 2012 after the national association in New Delhi elected a number of tainted officials to key posts.

The Indian Olympic Association in December bowed to pressure and agreed to keep tainted officials out of the fresh elections.

But it rejected a request from India's sports ministry to hold the new elections before the start of the Sochi Games.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2014.

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