After Government representatives from the Gulf state held discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), they promised President Jacques Rogge that by the end of the month they would begin investigating putting changes in place which would be compatible with the Olympic Charter.

Last month the IOC threatened to suspend Kuwait on the grounds that their sporting authorities were not sufficiently independent from the Government.

In a statement the IOC said: "The Kuwait authorities expressed their willingness to find an appropriate and suitable solution in order to avoid the suspension of the Kuwait Olympic Committee and the Kuwait Olympic Movement, in particular by ensuring that the national sports law and regulations in Kuwait will be compatible with the Olympic Charter and the rules of the respective International Olympic Sports Federations."

 

The IOC have now given Kuwait until December 31 to implement all the changes and warned if they were not then the suspension for London 2012 would be imposed.

 

The statement said: "Should the Kuwait authorities be unable to respect any steps noted above, the decision of the IOC Executive Board would be immediately enforced and the suspension of the Kuwait Olympic Committee would come into effect,"

The IOC took a similar hardline last year with Iraq's Olympic committee and suspended the Iraqis from the Beijing Games before a compromise was reached that allowed a limited amount of athletes to compete in the Chinese capital.

 

Kuwait made their Olympic debut at the Mexico City Games in 1968 but have only ever won one medal, a bronze by Fehaid Al Deehani in the double trap shooting at Sydney in 2000.