Kosovo Olympic Committee

Spain's decision to ban athletes from Kosovo - which it does not recognise - from competing under their national flag at the 2018 World Karate Championship in Madrid has highlighted the hurdles that athletes from disputed countries face, Besim Hasani, head of the Kosovo Olympic Committee, told BIRN on Tuesday.

Kosovo's karate team was not allowed to enter Serbia on Wednesday morning for the European Karate Championship which will be held in Novi Sad on May 10- 13.

The Spanish Olympic Committee has agreed to grant visas for members of the Kosovo delegation who will attend the Mediterranean Games Tarragona, after Spanish authorities initially tried to deny visas for Kosovars. Spain is one of the five EU countries which did not recognise Kosovo's independence.

BEIJING - The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has admitted the Kosovo Athletic Federation into provisional membership, the organization's executive committee said on Wednesday.

Athletes from Kosovo are celebrating the IOC decision to grant Kosovo full membership, which means they will be fielding their own national team for the Brazil Olympics.

The decision was reached at the 127th session of the IOC held in Monaco and follows an earlier decision in October by the IOC to grant Kosovo provisional recognition.

IOC grants "provisional recognition to Kosovo Committee"

MONTREUX, BELGRADE -- The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted provisional recognition to the Kosovo Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

MONTREUX - The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted provisional recognition to Kosovo late on Wednesday, clearing the way for the unilaterally declared republic to take part in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 as an independent state.