Why are some countries so overrepresented the Olympics while others are so underrepresented?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, in India, people just don't place that importance on sports. Most middle/upper middle class people aren't willing to put in the time commitment equivalent of travel sports in the US, so you just aren't going to see that many elite athletes. For better or worse, they are putting that time into extra tutoring or other academic endeavors. It is only recently that people started placing importance on physical activity at all.

Unless it's cricket. And the Summer Olympics isn't long enough to finish a game of cricket.

Cricket will be a sport in LA 2028.

[Anonymous]

Cool story on one of these athletes

https://twitter.com/aaronsmith333/status/1817431315916165475?s=46

[Anonymous]

Just speculation:

A lot of the poorer countries who send a disproportionate number of athletes to the Olympics are populated with people who have genetics that are extremely conducive to athletic excellence, and they compete in sports that aren't expensive. Like So a lot of running, not a lot of water polo. And countries who are poor and don't have these genetics get left in the dust.

Also soccer culture is just way more prevalent in Brasil than India.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aussies love sports and the best trainers in the world want to work there due to the weather and culture.

I am not sure about the culture part. My friend sent her DD there to train for a water sport. She was treated horribly by all the "mates," who were rude as hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Majority-Muslim countries do not promote women’s sports. Those societies even discourage women from sports and even fitness (Saudi Arabia, for one).

They do not discourage sports for women- but they may discourage sports in public for women. There’s a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The money explanation doesn't make sense. Brazil has 277 athletes and it isn't a rich country. India has plenty of middle class and rich people.

And even Latin American teams have plenty of women participating. Not sure who thinks it is only men playing soccer. Mexico has women participating in the following Olympic sports: boxing, kayaking, cycling, diving, gymnastics, golf, judo, pentathlon, rowing, sailing, table tennis, tae-kwon-do, triathlon, and weight lifting .

Brazil is actually a pretty wealthy country. 8th or 9th in terms of GDP size. Moreover, fitness, health and sports are huge in BRazil. And they revere their women athletes.

[Anonymous]

Wealth and culture. India has wealth but their culture doesn't value sports or arts. They very much so look down on professionals in those spaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just speculation:

A lot of the poorer countries who send a disproportionate number of athletes to the Olympics are populated with people who have genetics that are extremely conducive to athletic excellence, and they compete in sports that aren't expensive. Like So a lot of running, not a lot of water polo. And countries who are poor and don't have these genetics get left in the dust.

Also soccer culture is just way more prevalent in Brasil than India.

Or, alternatively, athletics are seen as a way out of poverty. Given that there are a limited number of positions available, competition for these spots eliminates the weakest competitors in the existing pool of candidates. Naturally, poorer countries will not have the resources for equipment dependent sports.

[Anonymous]

Some poor countries in the Balkans and former Soviet Republics have a lot of athletes per capita. I think BCS sports were highly valued in those countries after the Second World War.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wealth and culture. India has wealth but their culture doesn't value sports or arts. They very much so look down on professionals in those spaces.

India is a poor country. Many African countries have some billionaires and millionaires but we do not call them rich due to the abject poverty much if not the majority of the populations live in, India is no different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wealth and culture. India has wealth but their culture doesn't value sports or arts. They very much so look down on professionals in those spaces.

India is a poor country. Many African countries have some billionaires and millionaires but we do not call them rich due to the abject poverty much if not the majority of the populations live in, India is no different.

I don’t know, it’s the fifth largest economy in the World, predicted be a top three economy in next ten years. So, I guess at some point west will have to face that fact and stop calling them poor at every opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wealth and culture. India has wealth but their culture doesn't value sports or arts. They very much so look down on professionals in those spaces.

India is a poor country. Many African countries have some billionaires and millionaires but we do not call them rich due to the abject poverty much if not the majority of the populations live in, India is no different.

I don’t know, it’s the fifth largest economy in the World, predicted be a top three economy in next ten years. So, I guess at some point west will have to face that fact and stop calling them poor at every opportunity.

Per capital, India is not a rich country.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/by-gdp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, in India, people just don't place that importance on sports. Most middle/upper middle class people aren't willing to put in the time commitment equivalent of travel sports in the US, so you just aren't going to see that many elite athletes. For better or worse, they are putting that time into extra tutoring or other academic endeavors. It is only recently that people started placing importance on physical activity at all.

Unless it's cricket. And the Summer Olympics isn't long enough to finish a game of cricket.

Cricket will be a sport in LA 2028.

Cricket is an imperialist / oppressor sport. It should never have even been considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, in India, people just don't place that importance on sports. Most middle/upper middle class people aren't willing to put in the time commitment equivalent of travel sports in the US, so you just aren't going to see that many elite athletes. For better or worse, they are putting that time into extra tutoring or other academic endeavors. It is only recently that people started placing importance on physical activity at all.

Unless it's cricket. And the Summer Olympics isn't long enough to finish a game of cricket.

Cricket will be a sport in LA 2028.

Cricket is an imperialist / oppressor sport. It should never have even been considered.

It's also the most popular sport in the world and the oppressed dominate the hell out of the imperialists at it.

[Anonymous]

It's because the Olympics are a corrupt and all about money and the key to a successful Olympic program is huge sums of cash and a willingness and sophistication to use doping.

Soooo... not every country has that?