Saudis give women Games go-ahead

Saudi Arabia will allow females to compete in the Olympic Games for the first time, its embassy in London said in a landmark statement issued yesterday. The Saudi Olympic Committee will “oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify”, the BBC quoted the statement as saying.  Equestrian contestant Dalma Malhas is likely to be the country’s only female athlete to qualify for this summer’s Games in London which get underway on July 27. Malhas, born in the United States, won a bronze medal at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics, following an invitation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).