Brunei's Winter Olympics Dream: Is It Possible?

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, has participated in the Summer Olympics eight times since 1988, but has never taken part in the Winter Games. The country has never won an Olympic medal.

Brunei has never participated in the Winter Olympics

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, has never participated in the Winter Olympics. The nation first participated in the Olympic Games in 1988, but this was as an observer nation, with a single official in attendance and no competing athletes.

Brunei has since participated in several Summer Olympic Games, sending athletes to compete in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024. However, it has never sent a delegation to the Winter Games.

The country's participation in the Olympic movement began in 1984 with the creation of the National Olympic Committee for Brunei, which was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that same year. Despite this early involvement, it would be another eight years before Brunei sent an athlete to compete in the Games. In 1996, the country was represented by a single competitor in the skeet shooting event.

Since then, Brunei has been represented by a total of eleven athletes across seven Summer Games, with the largest delegation of three athletes sent to the 2012 London Olympics. This delegation also included the country's first-ever female Olympic athlete, Maziah Mahusin, who competed in hurdling. Brunei's most recent Olympic appearance was at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, where the nation was represented by one sprinter and two swimmers.

Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council was formed in 1984

Brunei Darussalam, also known as Brunei, first participated in the Olympic Games in 1988, sending an official but no athletes. However, the nation's Olympic journey began a few years earlier, with the formation of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council in 1984.

The National Olympic Committee for Brunei was created in 1984 and was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that same year. This committee is the body responsible for Brunei's representation at the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games and is the governing body of sports in the country.

After its formation, the committee's first involvement with the Olympic Games came in 1988 when Brunei sent a single official to Seoul, South Korea. The nation did not send any athletes to compete at this time. It would be another eight years before Brunei participated again, this time sending an athlete to compete in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Since its first involvement in 1988, Brunei has participated in numerous Summer Olympic Games, including 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020. The nation has sent a total of eleven athletes to compete across these Games, with sports including track and field athletics, badminton, shooting, and swimming. However, despite its ongoing participation in the Summer Games, Brunei has never taken part in the Winter Olympic Games.

Brunei has participated in the Summer Olympics eight times

In 1996, Prince Abdul Hakeem Jefri Bolkiah represented Brunei in the skeet shooting event in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, ranking 49th overall. In 2000, runner Haseri Asli represented the country but was unable to advance. Prince Abdul Hakeem Jefri Bolkiah again represented Brunei in the same event in Sydney, Australia, this time placing 45th out of 49. In 2004, runner Jimmy Anak Ahar was the sole representative of Brunei, but he was also unable to advance.

Brunei intended to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics but was expelled on the day of the opening ceremony due to failing to register any athletes with the IOC. The country did not compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics but sent three athletes to the Summer Youth Olympics that year, including two girls: Amanda Jia Xin Liew in swimming and Maziah Mahusin in hurdling.

In 2012, Brunei sent its biggest delegation yet to the Summer Olympics in London, England, with three athletes, including their first-ever female Olympic athlete, nineteen-year-old hurdler Maziah Mahusin. Swimmer Anderson Lim and runner Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Rositi also competed but none of the delegation advanced.

Brunei has never won an Olympic medal.

Brunei has never won an Olympic medal

Brunei has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games and has never won an Olympic medal. The small Southeast Asian nation has sent athletes to the Summer Olympic Games on several occasions, but success has been limited.

Brunei first participated at the Olympic Games in 1988, sending a single official but no athletes to Seoul, South Korea. The country then sent athletes to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, and 2004, with one athlete representing the nation on each occasion. Brunei's sole representative in 1996 was Prince Abdul Hakeem Jefri Bolkiah, who competed in the skeet shooting event, finishing 49th overall. In 2000, runner Haseri Asli was the country's only athlete but did not advance. Prince Abdul Hakeem Jefri Bolkiah represented Brunei again in 2000, and in 2004, runner Jimmy Anak Ahar was the country's sole competitor but also did not advance.

Brunei's participation in the Olympic Games has been sporadic since then. The country was expelled from the 2008 Beijing Olympics after failing to register any athletes with the IOC. In 2012, Brunei sent its largest delegation to date, with three athletes, including its first-ever female Olympic athlete, Maziah Mahusin, a hurdler. However, none of the 2012 delegation advanced in their respective events.

Brunei has continued to participate in the Summer Olympic Games, sending two athletes in 2016 and 2020, and one sprinter and two swimmers to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite their ongoing participation, Brunei has yet to win a medal, highlighting the challenges faced by small nations in competing on the Olympic stage.

Brunei's first female athlete competed in 2012

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games. The country first participated in the Olympic Games in 1988, with a single official but no athletes. They then sent athletes to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, and 2004, with a single athlete representing the country on each occasion.

In 2012, Brunei sent a delegation of three athletes to the Olympic Games in London, England, including their first-ever female athlete, Maziah Mahusin. Mahusin, a 19-year-old hurdler, made history as the first woman to represent Brunei at the Olympic Games. She competed in the women's 400-metre event, setting a national record for Brunei with a time of 59.28 seconds.

The inclusion of Mahusin in the Brunei Olympic team was the result of pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which had announced in 2010 that it would press countries, including Brunei, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, to allow and facilitate women's participation in the Olympic Games. Mahusin's selection as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony in London was a significant moment for the country.

Despite not meeting the Olympic qualifying time, Mahusin was able to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games thanks to the IOC's principle of universality, which allows National Olympic Committees to enter unqualified athletes in athletics and swimming if they have no qualified athletes in these sports. This rule aims to promote openness, inclusion, and the development of sports programs in nations that may otherwise send no competitors to the Games.

Mahusin's journey as Brunei's first female Olympian was not without its challenges. Cultural norms in Brunei often value a woman's academic pursuits over athletic ones, and she faced the difficulty of training without any female sparring partners, having to rely on the men's team for motivation and companionship. However, she remained focused on improving her performance and represented her country with pride and honour.

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