WILLEMSTAD--The International Olympic Committee has withdrawn the charter of the Netherlands Antilles. No longer can athletes from Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius or St. Maarten compete in international games under the flag of the Netherlands Antilles.
President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge announced the decision to end the existence of the (Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee) at a press conference yesterday.
"The Netherlands Antilles were recognized by IOC in 1950. It was never a sovereign state but a territory within the Dutch crown," said Rogge. "There was a referendum in the Netherlands Antilles and they decided to re-enter the territory of the Dutch crown, some as a municipality others as a specific territory."
He continued to explain, "Ultimately this National Olympic Committee (NAOC) today has no territory anymore. So the only option we are having is to withdraw recognition."
The IOC board decision to withdraw recognition still has to be ratified by the General Session to be held July 1 to 9 in Durban, South Africa.
Last year the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for international track and field, decided that the Netherlands Antilles no longer existed after the 10-10-10 break up.
The IAAF ruled athletes from the five islands would only be eligible to compete internationally under the Dutch flag "as the athletes from the former political entity utilize Dutch passports, so thus the athletes must represent The Netherlands."
The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee had hoped to keep the Islands' sport organizations united and maintain Olympic status. Hopes of unity were dashed in December when the Curacao parliament voted 17-0 to do everything possible in order to achieve full membership in the International Olympic Committee. Parliament hoped to be allowed to establish an Olympic Committee of Curacao.
In an effort to protect the athletes in the affected region, the IOC will still provide financial and technical support for to the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. However, the athletes would compete under the Olympic flag as independent athletes and should they medal the Olympic Anthem would be played at the award ceremonies.
After 2012 athletes in the region could compete under the Dutch or perhaps Aruba flag.