Kosovo was granted full IOC membership on Tuesday, "rubber-stamping the Balkan region's first Games appearance at Rio de Janeiro" in '16 but angering Serbia, which accused the IOC of "political bias," according to Karolos Grohmann of REUTERS. The region "declared independence from Serbia" in '08, a decade after NATO "went to war to halt the massacre and expulsion of Albanians by Serbian forces waging a two-year counter-insurgency under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic." Association of National Olympic Committees Head Sheikh Amhad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said, "It was a very complicated situation. I am proud that now there will be 205 NOCs (in the IOC)." Belgrade refuses to recognize Kosovo, "saying the territory, which has a majority Albanian population, is a heartland of the Serbian nation" and the country's Olympic committee "launched a protest in October when Kosovo was granted provisional IOC recognition." Serbian Sports Minister Vanja Udovicic said, "As a sports minister, I maintain the decision is not good, primarily for international sports, because it gives room for future precedents that could jeopardize world sports. What are the motives to make such a decision and grant full membership to a so-called state, not recognized by the United Nations?" Although IOC recognition is "usually preceded by United Nations recognition of the state, it is not a prerequisite." IOC President Thomas Bach said the Serbian Olympic Committee had accepted Kosovo's recognition and "there was no official protest against the decision." Bach: "The Serbian Olympic Committee President (Vlade Divac) expressed that he is not happy with the decision but he accepts it in the interest of the athletes" (REUTERS, 12/9). Grohmann reported in a separate piece the IOC on Tuesday unveiled plans for "new headquarters in Lausanne to accommodate growing staff and centralize its operations" by '20. The IOC said the new building, on the site of its "current HQ on the shores of Lake Geneva," would cost a total of $164.34M and would provide "more space for the growing organization and its 450 staff." The IOC said that it would "take out a 20-year loan for the construction" (REUTERS, 12/9).
IOC PICKS LIMA: The AP reported Lima, Peru will host the 130th IOC session in '17, when the host for the 2024 Games will be announced.
The IOC general assembly "picked the South American city over Helsinki on Tuesday, by 54 votes to 30" (AP, 12/9).
