Ghana Olympic Committee seeks relief from CAS

Accra, Jan. 31, GNA - Presidents of the various Sports Associations under the National Sports Council (NSC) are seeking relief from the Court o= f Sports Arbitration (CAS) following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ban imposed on Ghana.

The Presidents, according to a four-page communiqu=E9 to CAS cited by the GNA Sports are praying the arbiters to nullify the IOC's decision to bar the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) from organizing elections to elect new officers as it contravenes Rule 2(11) of the IOC Charter. It said the position of the IOC hampers Ghana's efforts among others towards preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The communiqu=E9 pieced together by the Presidents and members of the GOC-National Olympic Committee (NOC) who are recognized by the IOC also wan= t a declaration that the IOC's Charter does not require national laws to comply with the provisions of the IOC Charter. It emphasized that the IOC Charter rather requires that the statutes/constitutions and activities of the IOC member Sports Associations accord the ideals and principles of the IOC Charter.

The GNA Sports can confirm that the Presidents are also contesting an IOC order that require and support the IOC recognized President Mr Benson T= .. Baba, but fails to let him comply with the provisions of the Constitution o= f the GOC and the IOC Charter to call for Congress.

The Presidents have thus entrusted their fate in the hands of Askinas David, a Colorado Springs-based Lawyer in the USA to argue out their case a= t CAS.

The Claimants per the petition are invoking Rule 59 of the Olympic Charter, to wit: any dispute arising on the occasion of, or in connection with the Olympic Games shall be submitted exclusively to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in accordance with the code of Sports-Related Arbitration.

The Claimants in the correspondence contend that the Sports Laws of Ghana do not prohibit elections of officials, but gives the NSC discretion, which it currently exercises in the interest of the Sports Associations who affiliate with International Federations (IF's) and must operate in accordance with the statutes/charters of the IF's.

It said 93in any case, nowhere in the IOC Charter is it a requiremen= t that national laws comply with the Charter before recognition can be given to National Olympic Committees from the state in question.

"The IOC Charter simply requires that the statutes/constitutions and operation of its member associations do not contradict the principles and ideals of the IOC Charter and this is currently assured in Ghana." The IOC on January 13 suspended Ghana from the movement after an 18-month impasse between outgoing President, Baba and elected President Prof. Francis Doodo.