Tiny Marshall Islands join IOC

The tiny Marshall Islands in the Pacific will become an official member of the Olympic family this week, the Australian Olympic Committee said yesterday. The International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting in Turin has accepted the Marshall...

The tiny Marshall Islands in the Pacific will become an official member of the Olympic family this week, the Australian Olympic Committee said yesterday.

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting in Turin has accepted the Marshall Islands as the 203rd National Olympic Committee to join the IOC. They will be formally endorsed by IOC members attending the 118th session on Wednesday.

President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees Kevan Gosper has been the driving force behind their admittance.

"The Marshall Islands now stand shoulder to shoulder with all the other Pacific Island nations including Australia and New Zealand as an Olympic nation," he said yesterday.

The Marshall Islands, with a population of 60,000 midway between Hawaii and Australia in the north Pacific Ocean, will now receive IOC funding of $150,000 a year to develop sport in their country.

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