IOC: Indian athletes will be able to compete in Sochi under their own flag after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted its suspension of the national Olympic committee (NOC).

It’s the first time a banned NOC has been reinstated during Games time.

India had been suspended by the IOC for failure to comply with the Olympic charter, forcing its three athletes to come to Sochi 2014 expecting to compete under the Olympic flag.

IOC communications director, Great Britain’s Mark Adams said the IOC executive board had reinstated the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during an ad-hoc meeting in Sochi on Tuesday.

Indian athletes can now compete for their NOC and will walk behind their national flag in the closing ceremony on 23 February.

To symbolically mark the lifting of the suspension, the Indian flag will be raised in the Olympic village in a special ceremony.