When it comes to conversations or debates regarding Olympic games they generally circle around superpowers: US, Russia, China, UK etc. But there are zillions of countries participating in the sporting carnival, some of them so small that they don’t even have a fraction of the population in comparison to the world powers or others in the Asian continent. And some of these lesser-known countries have even done better than the entities with high participants in the games.
In the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, a total of 205 countries competed in diverse sporting categories. So, the Olympics is not just about the big daddies in the world as there are also some small fish that have participated with grace. Let us acquaint ourselves with some nations to have participated in the Olympics with minimum to zilch buzz.
Eritrea
Located In Eastern Africa with a population of 3.2 million, Eritrea secured freedom from Ethiopia in 1991. The country represented at the Olympics for the first time in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. Eritrea had also got one medal at the 2004 Athens games, bronze by Zersenay Tadese in the 10,000 meters. It had 13 athletes at the Tokyo 2022 Games.
Guyana
This South American country with a population roughly of 7,00,000, first entered Olympics in 1948 as “British Guiana”. After gaining independence it competed in the name of Guyana. The solitary medal for the country was a bronze in the 1980 Moscow Games, courtesy of the pugilist Michael Anthony. The country was represented by 7 athletes in the recently-concluded event in Tokyo.
Gabon
With a population of close to 2 million, this Western African country remained under the clutches of the French till the late 19th century. Gabon got freedom from its colonists in 1960 and made its debut appearance in the 1972 Munich Games. The only medal it has got thus far happens to be a silver in taekwondo, thanks to Anthony Obame, in the 2012 London games. In Tokyo, it had sent five athletes.
Guinea-Bissau
An erstwhile Portuguese colony, Guinea-Bissau attained freedom in 1973. Located in Western Africa and inhabited by 1.8 million people the country dispatched its athletes for the first time in the 1996 Olympic games. Since then it has been part of all Olympic editions, however, a medal continues to elude the nation. It was represented by 4 athletes in the just-concluded Tokyo games.
Nauru
With a population of barely 11,000 Nauru happens to be the third-smallest country in the world after Vatican City and Monaco. The country, in the Oceania region, started its Olympics sojourn from the 1996 Atlanta edition onwards. Nauru’s first seven Olympians happened to be weightlifters. In the Tokyo edition, it had two participants: Jonah Harris (100 meters) and weightlifter Nancy Genzel Abouke.
Lesotho
Situated in Southern Africa, Lesotho happens to be an enclaved country that is totally landlocked by South Africa. The country of 2.1 million people had its maiden appearance at the 1972 Munich Olympics and is yet to secure an Olympic medal. This time around, at the Tokyo Games, it had sent two athletes.
