Tokyo 2020
African country Guinea pulls out of Tokyo Olympics over Covid-19 scare
The country becomes the 2nd nation after North Korea to pull out of this years Olympics due to Covid fears
Tokyo Olympics 2020 (Source: Reuters Photo)
In the latest set of events to have taken the Olympics by storm, Guinea had decided to not send any athletes for this year's edition of the Tokyo Olympics. This is mainly because of a resurgence of Covid variants that is explained as the main reason by sports minister Sanoussy Sow.
He addressed a letter to the National Olympic Committee in which he stated that "Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 variants, the Government, concerned with preserving the health of Guinean athletes, has decided with regret to cancel Guinea's participation in the Tokyo Olympics,"(Agence France Presse). Guinea has a total of 5 athletes taking part at the Olympics this year. It includes Judoka Mamadou Samba Bah, sprinter Aissata Deen Conte, swimmers Fatoumata Lamarana Toure and Mamadou Tahirou Bah and Wrestler Fatoumata Yarie Camara.
Guinea will be absent for the first time since the 1976 Olympics and has made its debut at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. The country also becomes the second nation to bow out of this years Olympics after North Korea. Tokyo has also seen a rise in Covid cases with the city registering a 7th +1000 spike in cases this month.
