Just a few days ago, the West African country of Guinea pulled out of the Tokyo? Olympics 2020. In a statement to its national Olympic Committee, the sports minister confirmed this decision, citing a rise in COVID-19 and its variants.?

The sports minister Samoussy Bantama Sow said they made the decision to protect the health of its athletes. This sparked an immediate reaction from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).?

They sent a letter to the country?s Olympic authorities saying they were extremely surprised by the last-minute decision.

Read More: Pedri & Richarlison Among The Most Valuable XI Playing In Tokyo Olympics 2020

Guinea overturns the decision?

The sports minister Sow made the announcement on the 22nd. The country finally decided to overturn its previous decision of not sending its athletes. This move had received a lot of national and international flak.

Pressure from national and international organizations, the IOC, and media organizations prompted the country to reverse its decision.?

?The Minister of State, Minister of Sports has the true pleasure of informing the people of Guinea and the whole sports family, that the government, after obtaining guarantees from the health authorities, agrees to the participation of our athletes in the 32nd Olympics in Tokyo,? the minister said in a statement.

Top Stories

Sean Payton Announces Retirement Plans as Broncos HC Demands Improvement From Bo Nix & Co. Before Playoffs

Greg Biffle’s $4M Worth Prized Possession Still Without a Buyer Leaves NASCAR Fans Heartbroken

LIV Golf Braces for Another Possible Exit in Wake of Brooks Koepka Departure

Biff Poggi All But Confirms Bryce Underwood’s Michigan Future After Announcing His Own Departure

Roger Federer Draws Criticism from Swiss Government Chief for Tourism Boom in Country

NASCAR World Mourns as Former Watkins Glen President Michael Printup Passes Away at 60

Sow also said in the statement that Guinea had agreed to send their athletes to compete after receiving guarantees from the health authorities.

Tokyo Olympics 2020 athletes affected by this decision

The five athletes are female 100 metres runner Aissata Deen Conte, wrestler Fatoumata Yarie Camara, judoka Mamadou Samba Bah, and swimmers Mamadou Tahirou Bah and Fatoumata Lamarana Tour?.

All these athletes were very surprised at the earlier decision of their government. Many of them questioned why their country decided to make this last-minute call on account of COVID-19 when the host country itself did not cancel it.?

After hearing the latest development, in this case, the athletes are ecstatic at the prospect of getting the opportunity to perform at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

They had practiced for months leading up to this tournament. Now they will be able to compete for their country. Guinea has taken part in the Olympics eleven times but never won a medal. North Korea is now the only country to pull out of the Olympics citing COVID-19 reasons.