In 1956, the Olympics held at Melbourne, Australia was boycotted by the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland on account of the “Hungarian Uprising” done by the then Soviet Union. In subsequent time Iraq, Cambodia, Lebanon, Egypt, etc boycotted the games due to the Suez Crisis. The whole face of the Olympic Games began to change due to this event. This was the first major problem to face the Olympics Games.

In the year 1972 and the year 1976 a sizeable number African countries had threatened the International Olympic Committee to ban South Africa, New Zealand and Rhodesia. The International Olympic Committee agreed for South Africa and Rhodesia to be banned but did not cede to the demands for New Zealand to be banned from the Olympic Games.

In the Olympics held in 1976 Taiwan was made to compromise for certain issues and refused to participate up until the year 1984 they refused to participate, and only later under the banner of Chinese Taipei in the year 1984 did they participate, that too using a special flag.

In the years 1980 and 1984 the opponents of the Cold war had boycotted each other’s teams and games. Due to the Soviet invasion in 1980 of Afghanistan the United States and sixty four other competing countries refused to participate in the Olympic Games held at Moscow.

One of the worst problems faced at the Olympics is the usage of narcotics. The usage of performance enhancing substances in the Olympic Games came into use in the early twentieth century when some athletes realized that they could enhance their performance in their respective events by using these drugs. To prevent the usage of any sort of performance enhancing drug the organisers have to now conduct an array of fitness and test checks to ensure that there has been no supplementary substance used to improve the athletes’ performance. It is sad to see that any athlete would dare to cheat at such a prestigious event like the Olympics, and would dare to tarnish the image of the country he or she represents at the Olympic Games.