KUWAIT CITY, Feb 21: The President of the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee, Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, convened with several clubs whose declarations were revoked last December by the former Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Mohammad Al-Aiban, and the General Sports Authority. This meeting was prompted by the clubs' appeal, held last Saturday at the diwaniya of Dr. Falah Al-Mahwaish.

Discussions during the meeting focused on the latest developments, particularly the potential repercussions from international federations due to the absence of Kuwaiti players in foreign competitions for almost a year. The federations have informally inquired about this matter, and any resulting penalties could lead to the suspension of sports activities. If official letters are sent from Kuwait, indicating government interference by canceling the declarations of 43 specialized clubs, these letters may be escalated to the International Olympic Committee. Consequently, the external ramifications could be more severe than internal consequences, negatively impacting Kuwaiti sports reputation internationally. Kuwait may lose significant standing in international, continental, and Arab federations.

Attendees expressed their gratitude to Sheikh Fahad for promptly accepting the invitation to meet with the clubs. This gesture underscores his commitment to overcoming obstacles and resolving the crisis swiftly, preventing potential intervention by the international federations.There is optimism regarding the understanding of the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Dawood Marafi, and his eagerness to expedite a resolution, reinstating the advertisements of the affected clubs.

Sheikh Fahad, in turn, thanked the clubs for their patriotism and patience up to this point, commending them for refraining from approaching international federations regarding government intervention in canceling their advertisements. He urged the clubs to contact the Kuwait Olympic Committee before taking any action if official letters are received from their international federations.