International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has written to Ecuador President Rafael Correa to express his concern about government interference in the country’s sporting affairs.
The IOC chief’s letter follows a motion of condemnation against the Ecuadorian government adopted by the Olympic body and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ACNO) during their joint meeting in Moscow on Monday.
Ecuador Olympic Committee president Danilo Carrera on Sunday voiced his concern that sporting federations in the South American country could be put under government supervision after top officials were sacked with the approval of the Sports Ministry while awaiting new elections.
Asian Olympic chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who was on Friday elected ACNO president, and whose native Kuwait was itself suspended by the IOC in 2010 for political interference, strongly condemned such government meddling. If the conflict is not resolved, Ecuador could be suspended by the IOC, with their athletes competing in the 2012 London Games forced to do so under the Olympic flag.
