Olympic challenge for Saudi women

Negotiations between the International Olympic Committee and Saudi Arabia have been long and tricky. Jacques Rogge and other senior members of the IOC are desperate絕望 for the oil-rich kingdom to send an all-gender team to the London Games. So much so they are prepared to waive放棄 the normal qualification criteria標準. But in Saudi it's a sensitive issue. Ultra-conservative forces in the government have been against the idea because women playing sport in public violates違反 Islamic Sharia law. Last month the head of the country's Olympic Committee refused to endorse背書, 擁護 female participation參與, although he said they might be allowed to compete under a neutral flag. Jacques Rogge said that was not an option.

Other nations like Qatar and Brunei have for the first time selected women in their Olympic teams. Noora Al Mennai who was part of Doha's 2020 Olympic bid delegation代表團 has urged督促 Saudi Arabia to follow suit效仿.

By discriminating歧視 against women Saudi Arabia has broken the IOC's charter. Potential sanctions制裁 include expulsion驅逐 from the Olympic movement - a last resort手段 but perhaps not inconceivable不可思議.

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