IOC urges countries to open up to women

A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) figure asked Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Qatar to reconsider their policy of never having sent a woman to an Olympic Games at their session here on Friday. "We hope that these three countries will send women to next year's Olympic Games in London," declared Anita DeFrantz, the American president of the IOC's women and sport commission. DeFrantz, who has previously suggested the three countries should be excluded if they continue with their non-women policy, also pointed out that 10 international federations - football, weightlifting, handball, archery, shooting, rugby, cycling, bobsleigh, canoeing and boxing - have no women on their executive committees. "There are now fewer women than ever working in senior capacities in sporting federations," she said. IOC president Jacques Rogge gave his support to DeFrantz's comments, although he did insist that the sporting movement "is making progress."