sports
Denmark's parliament asks IOC to recognize Greenland and Faroe Islands as separate Olympic teams
The Danish parliament has sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee requesting recognition of Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent National Olympic Committees. The request revives a proposal first made two decades ago.
winnipegfreepress.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Denmark's parliament has asked the International Olympic Committee to recognize Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent National Olympic Committees that would compete under their own flags. The parliament published the letter on Tuesday, stating it reflects a commitment to greater international participation for both territories.
Greenland and the Faroe Islands are semi-autonomous parts of Denmark.
Background on the request The proposal was first made about 20 years ago.
It comes weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formed a new coalition government. The IOC has recognized 206 national Olympic bodies, 13 more than the number of United Nations member states. Since 1996 the committee has limited recognition to independent states, a policy applied to Kosovo in 2014 and South Sudan in 2015.
The Olympic Charter defines a country as an independent state recognized by the international community. The IOC is considered unlikely to approve the Danish request under current rules. Two athletes from Greenland competed for Denmark at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
The Faroe Islands have taken part in qualifying rounds for international soccer tournaments since the 1992 European Championship and 1994 World Cup.
