Three countries – Kuwait,Libya and Sudan, have withdrawn from the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games that are to take place in Baku Azarbaijan from May 12-22.
The Azerbaijan Islamic Solidarity Games Operations Committee (AISGOC) and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) issued a statement confirming the news.
It means that hopes that for the first time all 57 members of the ISSF would take part in the Solidarity Games have been dashed.
The Kuwait athletes had been due to compete as Independent ISSF athletes due to an ongoing dispute with the International Olympic Committee. Kuwaiti officials said that despite their collective efforts to provide the athletes from Kuwait with an opportunity to take part in the Games, the ISSF and AISGOC accept that ultimately this was not possible .
The chairman of the Libyan Olympic Committee, Osman Ganain, issued a statement saying that a funding crisis was the reason for his country’s withdrawal.
No reason was given for the withdrawal of Sudan yet.
