South Sudan Aiming For IOC Membership, Rio 2016

(ATR)South Sudan is hoping to become the 206th member of the IOC by July of this year.

The newly-established South Sudan Olympic Committee appointed Wilson Deng Kuoirot as president in a unanimous election during its first general assembly earlier this month.

During the assembly, Deng said, "My agenda is to prepare the South Sudan file to be ready for the membership in IOC Assembly expected to be held in Malaysia later this year."

If South Sudan becomes an IOC member in July, the country's athletes would be eligible to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The South Sudan Olympic Committee will have to work fast to establish the five internationally-approved national federations required for IOC membership under the Olympic Charter.

During a visit to Kosovo in April, IOC president Thomas Bach told reporters that the IOC is "working hard to support athletes" in South Sudan.

"In fact, during a visit to Africa last year, I met with presidents of the Sudan Olympic Committee and South Sudan sports bodies," Bach added.

"We want to welcome South Sudanese athletes in the Olympic Games next year.

"But at this moment I am not in a position to confirm whether there will be a decision in Kuala Lumpur."

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. As of 2013, the country's population was recorded as approximately 11 million.

The next IOC Session is slated for July 31 in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Written byNicole Bennett

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