Mexican artistic team win lawsuit to get scholarships back

MEXICO CITY : Mexico's artistic swim team, which had to sell swimming suits and towels to pay for their Olympic preparation, will now get their scholarships reinstated after winning a lawsuit against the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE).

The government body has three days to reinstate scholarship payments to the team after a judge ruled in favour of the athletes on Tuesday.

"The resolution that was given is the definitive suspension that is granted to the athletes and that gives CONADE three days to inform the judge that they are already reinstating the payment of the scholarships," the swimmers' lawyer, Luis Jimenez, told newspaper Milenio.

The swimming squad that won several medals in the world series in Egypt filed a collective injunction against CONADE for withdrawing their financial support without informing them beforehand.

Ana Guevara, head of CONADE, announced the cut in funding in January after the world governing body, World Aquatics, disowned the president of the Mexican Swimming Federation, Kiril Todorov, who is facing trial for embezzlement.

"In this case there was never a reason or justification to take away the scholarships," said Jimenez, adding that a final ruling has yet to be handed down regarding the payments that were not made since January.

The sports commission of the Chamber of Deputies also summoned Guevara to report on the actions taken in favour of the athletes and the management of the institution's resources.