Kuwait Update; Olympian Retires; Boxing World Champ and Olympics

New Cabinet for Kuwait

Kuwait’s cabinet overhaul opens up the potential for an Olympic comeback if the government adopts legislation in compliance with IOC policy.

Six new faces and nine old sit on the cabinet announced Sunday by Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, including IOC member and incumbent deputy prime minister for economic affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah.

Ahmad, president of both the Kuwait Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, was also reappointed as state minister for housing and development.

"Sheikh Ahmad has been a veteran political figure in the Kuwaiti royal family, playing a significant role in Kuwait’s economic and social development, especially in easing social tension in the recent unrest in the Arab world," reads a statement distributed by the OCA.

The IOC suspended the KOC in January 2010 after two years of fruitless negotiations to change a law that gives the government the power to influence the leadership of sports federations. FIFA at one time suspended Kuwait over the conflict as well but has since restored its status for football.

The IOC suspension means Kuwaiti athletes competed under the IOC flag at last year’s Guangzhou Asian Games as well as the 2nd Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman. They were known officially as "athletes from Kuwait", a distinction likely to apply at major multi-sport Games until the country gets its governance in line with the Olympic Charter.

Olympian Retires

Pavol Demitra, a three-time Olympian for Slovakia has called it quits for his career.

The 36-year old center retired following Slovakia’s loss in the 2011 ice hockey world championships.

Demitra competed in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Games.

He won a bronze at the 2003 ice hockey worlds in Finland, and was the leading scorer in Vancouver.

Professionally, Demitra spent 16 years on the NHL playing for various clubs.

Victory for Flagbearer, Coach Headed to Olympic Team

Manny Pacquiao, flagbearer for the Philippines at the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony secured a unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley Friday night to retain the WBO welterweight world championship.

Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and is considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.

He is a hero and icon in his native Philippines.

Following the match, USA Boxing announced that Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, will serve as a volunteer trainer for the U.S. Olympic team heading into London 2012.

"An Olympic medal is one of the greatest accomplishments in all of sport, and I promise to do all I can to ensure that these young men and women are fully prepared to go to London to proudly represent our country," said Roachin a statement on Saturday. "This partnership is an exciting new chapter in my career and I can’t wait to get started."

Roach has trained 17 world champions, is a five-time Trainer of the Year, and an inductee into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Gold Medalist Making a Comeback?

1996 gold medalist in wrestling Kurt Angle is attempting to make an Olympic comeback.

Now 42, Angle said he wassincere in his desire to repeat as champion in freestyle wrestling.

"It’s not just this old man trying to lash out to get publicity. It’s about really making the team and making a point that, you know what, the 40s is not old. It’s the new young."

Angle left the amateur wrestling world to join the professional wrestling circuit. His on-stage persona made use of his Olympic champion status and at one point in his professional career, he had to regain the medal lost in a previous bout.

Media Watch

Bulgarian media outlets published a retrospective of IOC member Ivan Slavkov’s life asking "who was Ivan Slavkov"?

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.