Minister: Scotland may have 2016 Olympic team

Scotland will send a separate Olympic team to Rio de Janeiro in 2016 if its people vote for independence next year, the country's sports minister, Shona Robison, claimed on Wednesday. The people of Scotland are due to vote on whether or not they want to become an independent country from Britain on September 18, 2014. If the 'yes' vote prevails, Scottish National Party politician Robison would like to see a team flying the Scottish flag travelling to Brazil two years later. "We're comfortable and assured Scotland will have its own Olympic and Paralympic team. It will bring many benefits," she told BBC Sport. Robison said that Scotland has already fulfilled Olympic criteria relating to sporting infrastructure and the number of affiliated national sport federations in the country. She added that the only remaining obstacle to overcome was the establishment of Scotland as an "independent state recognised by the international community". Until now, Scottish athletes have competed at the Olympics under the British flag alongside their counterparts from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Of the 542 members of the British team at last year's London Olympics, 55 were eligible to represent Scotland. Source: AFP