Countries Have Been Banned from the Olympics: A History
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29 July 2024 10:05 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 2024 Paris Olympics opened with a striking contrast between the spirit of sportsmanship and the realities of global conflict. While athletes from nearly 200 countries gathered to compete, the Israeli team's presence was met with boos and chants of "Free Palestine" as their national anthem played. This incident underscored the complex political landscape that often intersects with the Olympic ideal.
Israel, facing heightened security measures amidst its devastating war in Gaza, is one of many nations whose participation in the Olympics has been marked by controversy.
Some nations have been celebrated for their athletic prowess on the world stage, while others have been excluded due to political actions deemed contrary to the Olympic spirit.
When were Olympic bans first imposed?
The first Olympic bans were imposed following World War I, with Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey excluded from the 1920 Antwerp Games. Germany was again banned in 1924. Following World War II, Germany and Japan were similarly punished.
South Africa's apartheid regime led to its ban from the Olympics from 1964 to 1992, while Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) faced a similar fate in 1972 due to its racial segregation policies.
More recent examples include Afghanistan, banned in 2000 due to the Taliban's treatment of women, and Kuwait which was penalized in 2015 for government interference in its Olympic committee. North Korea's withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics resulted in a ban from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
In addition to outright bans, other forms of punishment have been imposed. Russia faced widespread doping sanctions leading to athlete exclusions from the 2016, 2018, and 2020 Olympics.
Russia and Belarus, embroiled in the ongoing war in Ukraine, were barred from the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, a limited number of athletes from these countries were allowed to compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes" (AINs), without national flags or anthems and uniforms.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will showcase 329 events across 32 different sports, offering a diverse and captivating spectacle for athletes and spectators alike from July 26 to August 11.
IDA ROSDALINA | AL JAZEERA
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