Indonesia Olympic Committee Will Avoid IOC Ban -- Top Story Replay

(ATR)The Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) has agreed to stop using the Olympic rings in its logo, following a warning from the IOC.

Last year, the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) told the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) that the country could lose the right to host the 2018 Asian Games if KONI kept the rings as its symbol.

Until 2005, KONI was the national Olympic committee for Indonesia. Ten years ago, the KOI was formed and KONI took charge of national athletes before they went off to international sports competitions.

The OCA sent the KOI a letter on Feb. 1 that said "appropriate measures must be taken by the Ministry of Sports Indonesia" to get KONI to remove the Olympic rings from its logo.

If the government of Indonesia did not comply, the OCA said in its letter that "failing to do so may result in the cancellation of the Asian Games but also appropriate sanctions from the IOC/OCA and the suspension of the NOC of Indonesia."

According to Yahoo Sports, KONI announced legal clashes had relented this week, and that it is looking for a new logo.

"We have formed a working group to re-design our logo," Tono Suratman, the head of KONI, said.

Ade Lukman, head of the KOI sports commission, voiced his support for the new design.

"By KONI dropping the IOC logo, all sports stakeholders in Indonesia can work together to host the 2018 Asian Games and use this event for the revival of Indonesia's sports development."

If the IOC were forced to suspend the KOI, it would have put the 2018 Asian Games at risk of needing to seek a third host.

Jakarta was chosen to host the Asiad after original host Hanoi, Vietnam gave back the hosting rights for the 2019 Asian Games due to financial difficulties.

The 2018 Asian Games will take place Aug. 18-Sept. 2.

Written byNicole Bennett

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