IOC revokes Olympic qualifier status after Israeli denied visa

BERLIN (Reuters) - The Asian shooting championship, which starts in Kuwait this week, has been stripped of its Olympic qualifying status after an Israeli delegate was refused an entry visa, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday. "Upon request of the International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF), the IOC Executive Board today revoked the Olympic qualification status of the Asian Shooting Championship taking place in Kuwait City between 1 and 12 November," it said in a statement. "The decision comes after the designated technical delegate from the ISSF, Yair Davidovich (Israel), who was due to supervise the event on behalf of the ISSF, was denied a visa by the Kuwaiti Immigration Department." The IOC said the denial of a visa went against its non-discrimination principle of the Olympic Charter which must apply to all Games qualification competitions. The Olympic body said another reason for stripping the qualifying status for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games was the ban imposed earlier this week on the Kuwait Olympic Committee from all Games-related activities. The IOC suspended Kuwait on Tuesday for the second time in five years over government interference in the country's Games committee. The IOC said it met the government and the Kuwait Olympic Committee to resolve the issue over a piece of sports legislation that was seen as threatening the autonomy of the Olympic body but the talks proved fruitless. "Another reason for the decision is the fact that the Kuwait NOC is currently suspended by the IOC due to governmental interference against the rules of the Olympic Charter," it said. "The KOC is not entitled to participate in any activity connected with the Olympic Movement or exercise any right conferred upon it by the Olympic Charter or the IOC." (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Toby Davis)