Indonesia Olympic Committee to avoid IOC ban
The Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) has agreed to stop using the Olympic rings in its logo, following a warning from the International Olympic Committee.
Last year, the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) told the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) that the country could lose the right to host the 2018 Asian Games if KONI kept the rings as its symbol.
Until 10 years ago, KONI was the national Olympic committee for Indonesia. However, in 2005, KOI was formed leaving KONI to take responsibility for national athletes before they went off to international sports competitions. However, KONI kept the Olympic rings in its logo.
Earlier this year the OCA sent the KOI a letter demanding that "appropriate measures must be taken by the Ministry of Sports Indonesia" to get KONI to remove the Olympic rings from its logo.
If the Government of Indonesia did not comply, the OCA said in its letter that "failing to do so may result in the cancellation of the Asian Games but also appropriate sanctions from the IOC/OCA and the suspension of the NOC of Indonesia."
According to Yahoo Sports, KONI has now announced that it is looking for a new logo.
KONI Chairman Tono Suratman stated “we have formed a working group to re-design our logo.”
KOI President Ade Lukman voiced his support for the move, adding “by KONI dropping the IOC logo, all sports stakeholders in Indonesia can work together to host the 2018 Asian Games and use this event for the revival of Indonesia's sports development."
If the IOC were forced to suspend the KOI, it would have put the 2018 Asian Games at risk of needing to seek a third host.
Jakarta was chosen to host the Asiad after original host Hanoi, Vietnam gave back the hosting rights for the 2019 Asian Games due to financial difficulties.
The 2018 Asian Games will take place from 18th August to 2nd September.
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