North Korea has forfeited its places in...

North Korea has forfeited its places in table tennis at the Summer Olympics, according to the International Table Tennis Federation.

A statement from the federation’s headquarters at St. Leonards-On-Sea, England said: “The latest information is that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea will not be participating and the places of the DPRK players are reallocated.”

North Korea demanded to be a co-host of the Games but was turned down. North Korea has repeatedly said it would not attend unless its conditions were met, although the International Olympic Committee has held out hope that Pyongyang would change its mind and send a team.

Table tennis was one of five sports offered to the north in an IOC compromise. The north accepted the plan “in principle” last year but final agreement never was reached.