A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official asked Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Qatar to reconsider their policy of not sending women to compete in the Olympic Games at their session here on Friday.
“We hope that these three countries will send women to next year’s Olympic Games in London,” declared Anita DeFrantz, the American president of the IOC’s women and sport commission.
Ms. DeFrantz, who had previously suggested the three countries should be excluded if they continue with their non-women policy, also pointed out that 10 international federations − football, weightlifting, handball, archery, shooting, rugby, cycling, bobsleigh, canoeing and boxing − have no women on their executive committees.
“There are now fewer women than ever working in senior capacities in sporting federations,” she said.
The IOC president, Jacques Rogge, gave his support to Ms. DeFrantz’s comments, but did insist that the sporting movement “is making progress.”
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