IOC Denies Meddling in Spanish Government Affairs

(ATR) The conflict between the Government of Spain and the International Olympic Committee concerning the athletes of Kosovo has sharpened in recent days.

Speaking to Around the Rings, the deputy general director of the IOC, the Spaniard Pere Miro, denied having said at any time that the IOC wants Spain to recognize the state of Kosovo.

But he reiterated that the position of the IOC in defending the free participation of athletes in international competitions, apart from the political situations of the countries, is unalterable.

Miro's statement is in response to the official complaint to the IOC made by Josep Borrell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.

Earlier this week statements to the press by the Spanish foreign minister reignited the controversy that seemed settled after the IOC and the Spanish Olympic Committee publicly expressed their satisfaction with a Spanish government resolution, driven by its President Pedro Sanchez, concerning the participation of the Kosovo sports delegations.

Borrell's proposal seemed similar to the formula already applied for the Mediterranean Games last June in Tarragona, where the Kosovars competed under the flag and the anthem of the Kosovar Olympic Committee.

However, during the recent World Karate Championships in Madrid they were forced to participate under the name of the International Federation and not of their national federation.

Last Monday, the Spanish Foreign Minister reiterated to a local radio station that Spain will not change its position of not recognizing the state of Kosovo because it is required to by representatives of the IOC.

"We are not going to accept that a director general of the IOC tells us that we have to recognize Kosovo. Who do you think you are?" Borrell questioned in response to the Deputy Director of the IOC.

Amid concerns about the participation of Kosovo in the World Karate Championships, Miro had effectively warned that if the problem is not solved in the future, the IFs would be asked to confirm that all athletes would be guaranteed equal terms in participating before Spain would be allowed to host an event.

These warnings from the IOC's high office are nothing new in recent years.

On the issue of recognition of state of Kosovo, Miro have affirmed that this "is a competence of the different states over which the IOC has nothing to say".

He said that his position is proven in writing by two letters sent to the Superior Council of Sports (CSD) of Spain.

The CSD is in charge of authorizing international competitions that are held in Spain through a document that must be signed by the national federations that opt for the organization and that includes, among other conditions, the obligation not to accept the participation of unrecognized countries.

"The IOC only intends to guarantee the free participation of athletes in every state or territory regardless of the existing political situations," Miro commented to ATR.

He added that he challenged Borrell to demonstrate "that the CIO has asked that Spain recognize the state of Kosovo"or otherwise "apologize" and has pointed out that "the real problem" is "ignorance" about the Olympic Movement.

Amid the issues with Spain, the IOC sent a letter to 60 International Federations to reiterate that before assigning any international sporting event to a country, all interested international sports organizations must ensure that all necessary written guarantees are obtained from local authorities and organizers to ensure equal treatment for participating athletes and sports delegations.

"If this were not possible, or if there was any doubt, the IOC has made it clear that any country that cannot guarantee these principles would be excluded from the right to organize international sporting events," reaffirms the letter.

"There have been numerous examples in the recent past of problems that were solved smoothly and successfully thanks to a joint approach and close collaboration between the IOC, the relevant International Federation, the local organizers/authorities and the NOC in question," the document expresses.

The most recent example, the letter adds, is in Spain, where sports delegations in Kosovo have encountered recurrent difficulties with respect to their participation in several international sporting events held there.

The IOC letter recalled that the Spanish Government has offered a clear commitment to ensure the participation of Kosovo athletes in sporting events organized in Spain "under the auspices of the IOC", as was the case of the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona.

As of today, it is not clear if Spain could lose hosting the next European Karate Championship in the city of Guadalajara next March.

The IOC has recommended to the World Federation and the European Federation of the sport to claim the guarantee that Kosovo athletes have equal participation conditions as to the rest of the competitors of the other countries from the Superior Council of Sports of Spain.

The current conflict between the IOC and the Spanish government could occupy the attention of the next General Assembly of National Olympic Committees to be held in Tokyo next week.

Written by Miguel Hernandez

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