Guinea Withdraws from Tokyo Olympics... Second After North Korea

COVID-19 Risk Cited... Financial Support Also Seems Difficult

[Image source=Yonhap News]

West African Guinea will be the second country, after North Korea, to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

According to foreign media including AFP on the 22nd (Korean time), Sanoussy Bantama Sow, Guinea's Minister of Sports, recently sent a letter to the Guinea Olympic Committee explaining the reason for the withdrawal. The letter stated that the participation was canceled due to the risk posed to athletes by the spread of COVID-19. However, AFP raised suspicions, saying, "The real reason is financial issues," and "The Guinea government is unable to provide financial support to the athletes."

Guinea, which has participated in the Summer Olympics since the 1968 Mexico Games, has yet to win a medal at the Olympics. The athletes who qualified for this event were Fatoumata Yarie Camara (wrestling), Mamadou Samba Bah (judo), Fatoumata Lamrana Toure, Mamadou Tahiru Bah (both swimming), and Asata Din Conte (athletics), totaling five athletes.