Olympics Cmte Coming for Montenegro

(ATR) Newly-independent Montenegro is on track to become the latest member of the Olympics family within a year, the president of the still-forming National Olympic Committee tells Around the Rings.

"We are aiming for full approval by the IOC at the Session in Guatemala in July 2007," says Dusan Simonivic, who attended last weekend's meeting of the European Olympics Committees in Rome as an observer.

He says the application of Montenegro should get a provisional okay at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Kuwait at the end of November. A vote by the full IOC Session is required for formal recognition, with the Guatemala session the last time to accomplish that prior to the Beijing Olympics.

On June 3, voters in Montenegro chose independence from Serbia, ending a loose alliance with Serbia that has lasted through the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. The Republic of Montenegro, with just over 600,000 citizens, is dwarfed by Serbia, population about 10 million.

Along with IOC recognition, United Nations recognition is still pending, but expected at the next session of the General Assembly.

Last week, the IAAF recognized Montenegro and Serbia as independent athletic federations, which clears the way for Montenegran athletes to compete in next month's European Championships and World Junior Championships.

Montenegro's IAAF membership is provisional and will be confirmed at the next IAAF congress in August 2007.

A Serbia Montenegro team competed for the first and last time at the FIFA 2006 World Cup. The team was eliminated in the first round of play.

The European Olympics Committees adopted a resolution in support of a Montenegro NOC at the meeting in Rome last week. The new republic would be the 49th member of the EOC.

Among the requirements to achieve IOC recognition, the Montenegro NOC must properly organize and elect its leadership and secure international federation recognition of at least five national federations.