LONDON, July 5: IOC President Jacques Rogge cannot guarantee “100 percent” that female athletes from Saudi Arabia will compete at the London Olympics, although he remains optimistic the Gulf kingdom will send women to the games for the first time.

Rogge told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that the International Olympic Committee is discussing the “operational details” with Saudi officials for ending their four-decade-old policy of sending only men to the games.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei have never included women in their Olympic teams.

At the Beijing Olympics, three countries did not bring women athletes but this has changed for London as the Muslim nations of Qatar and Brunei will include women competitors in their teams for the first time.

The final country to forbid women to compete, Saudi Arabia, last month bowed to pressure from the IOC and said it would allow women who qualify to compete at the London Games.

It has yet to name any female athletes who will represent the Middle Eastern kingdom despite Rogge in 2004 stating that: “our ultimate goal must be 50-50 participation.”

He did not, however, set a clear date for this proportion.

''I remain cautiously optimistic on the participation of women,” Rogge said. “I cannot guarantee it 100 percent today. I cannot say how many (athletes) because I don't know. We are still discussing operational details with the authorities.''

In a separate interview on CNN, Rogge supported the decision to omit David Beckham from the British football squad.Rogge said that it was British coach Stuart Pearce's job to select the best players to give the host squad its best chance for success when the London Olympic tournament kicks off later this month.

“If the head coach decides not to field the player that's the end of it,” Rogge said. “This is not an issue for sentiment. It's not an issue for nostalgia.”—Agencies