Kuwait loses Swiss court challenge against IOC ban

A Swiss Court has dismissed a US$1 billion lawsuit from the Kuwaiti Government against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its suspension from the from Rio 2016.

Following a hearing on 15th July, the Court ordered that the Kuwaiti State and Public Authority for Sports pay the IOC a total of US$11,500 in legal costs.

The Kuwaiti Government now has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Swiss Federal Court.

The Arabian Gulf nation remains barred from Rio 2016 after the Kuwait Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC for Government interference.

The IOC and world football governing body FIFA suspended Kuwait in October last year.

Officials in Kuwait have said that the country’s exclusion from the Rio Games, which start on Friday, was unjust and would cause massive financial losses.

It sued the IOC in civil court in the Swiss canton of Vaud, where the committee is headquartered in the canton’s main city, Lausanne.

In addition to the IOC and FIFA, 16 other international sporting federations have also blacklisted Kuwait.

In January, the Kuwaiti Government filed suit in a domestic court seeking damages of US$1.3 billion from 15 Kuwaiti sports officials it alleged had actively sought the suspensions.

It is the third time since 2007 that FIFA and the IOC have suspended Kuwait for alleged government interference.

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