The International Olympic Committee on Thursday suspended Ghana because of political interference, a move that could put at risk the African country's participation at the 2012 London Games. IOC president Jacques Rogge said the executive board expelled Ghana in a dispute over the country's sports law, "that does not respect the provisions of the Olympic charter".
"There have been many promises that the law would be changed but nothing materialised," Rogge told journalists here. "While keeping contact ... the executive board was compelled to expel the National Olympic Committee of Ghana (GOC)," he added. The move comes after months of talks in a bid to resolve the row between the IOC and the GOC. The ban means that Ghana's Olympic funding has been withdrawn.
However, Rogge explained that the IOC was ready to keep the door open at London next year for athletes from the country by allowing them to take part under an independent banner. "We hope that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible." "If the situation is not resolved we definitely will consider measures that will still help the athletes," he added. In a statement, the IOC slated "the obvious lack of co-operation of the government authorities in Ghana". It also accused the government of "lack of respect" for a written commitment to revise sports legislation by the end of 2010 in a way that would allow the GOC "to operate in full autonomy".
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