Olympic Committee awards scholarships to Palestinian athletes

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that it will award scholarships to around 50 Palestinian athletes to help them prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The aid will be funded by the Olympic Solidarity program and aims to support young athletes in qualifying for LA 2028 and other events, including the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in 2025 and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry expressed her hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and her solidarity with the Olympic community in the region. The IOC continues to support the Palestinian “Plan for the Revival of Sport” and is offering assistance in rebuilding destroyed sports facilities.

The organization rejected calls for Israel to be excluded from the Olympic movement because of the war in Gaza, stating that neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian committee had violated the Olympic Charter.

(reuters, mja)