Libya revives sport `to break sanctions'

Libya is to revive sports teams, which were banned more than a decade ago by the country's leader, Moammar Gadhafi. The move is designed to show that Libya can function despite United Nations sanctions.

Libyan state-run television reported late Monday night that sports competitions would resume on 12 January.

In the early 1980s, Gadhafi banned all sports competitions, expressing a particular dislike of football. He said the game allowed only 22 people to play, while everyone should be able to join any game.

Teams are being rebuilt "in a bid to challenge and break the unjust sanctions" imposed in 1992 to try to force the country to hand over two Libyans suspected in the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie.