If Malhas is chosen for the Saudi team for the Olympics, the move could provoke resistance in her homeland.

It could also be deemed in violation of the country's strict Islamic code under which women are forced to cover themselves from head to toe.

Prince Nawaf bin Faisal, the head of the Saudi Olympic Committee, said at the end of 2011 that Saudi Arabia would field only male athletes in London, while women can take part if they receive direct invitations.

"Talks about Saudi Arabia sending a women's team to the London Olympics have been repeated many times over the past 20 years. Saudi Arabia will participate with a male team, and there is no intention to send a female team because there are no women sports in Saudi Arabia," he said.

The prince pointed out that there were many Saudi female students abroad who play sports and contacted the committee expressing their wish to participate, but there is no female delegation to accommodate them.

"If they receive invitations, we will discuss that, especially (to ensure) they wear right outfits and that the competitions are suitable for women."

But it is still unclear if the Saudi Olympic Committee will select Malhas.

Meanwhile, women wanting to take part in sports in the Gulf kingdom face an uphill struggle as they have to do so behind closed doors, like a group of 300 women who played basketball at an enclosed court in the city of Jeddah on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8.

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