The biggest global sporting event of all time, the Tokyo Olympics, is set to get underway from next month and will be played between July 23 and August 8. The event is famous for the top athletes to display their dominance in their particular sport and make their nations proud.
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However, the upcoming Olympics has already seen some of the top stars pull out while some being left out. In the same light, we look at the stars who would be missing out this term.
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Rafael NadalThe Spanish tennis legend and the record 20-time Grand Slam champion announced his decision to pull out on Thursday. He did so to prolong his career and not wear out his body by playing competitive tennis on consecutive occasions, as he would also be missing out on the Wimbledon Slam, starting June 28. The 35-year-old, a record 13-time French Open winner, lost in the tournament's semis to the reigning world number one and eventual champion Novak Djokovic last Friday.
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Dominic ThiemAnother tennis star, Dominic Thiem of Austria, too, has followed the footsteps of Nadal and pull out of the Olympics this year. The reason he did so was to focus on his fitness and stay fresh ahead of his US Open title defence, starting August 30. It was the world number five's maiden Slam title, and the 27-year-old would leave no stones unturned to retain the crown.
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NeymarThe Brazilian footballer and star playmaker, Neymar too, would be missing out on representing his national side in the prestigious global event. The reason for that happens to be surprising, as he was left out of the squad by Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), saying that the 29-year-old's current focus is on Copa America. Furthermore, CBF would be satisfied if he leads Brazil to the Copa title win and would not expect him to strain his body with a further national competition in the lead up to his club commitments with Paris Saint-Germain.
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Dustin JohnsonThe world number one American golfer, Dustin Johnson, has decided not to participate in the event this year. As for his reason for pulling out, while the COVID pandemic is a concern, another weird reason he gave was that it was too long and exhausting to travel between the United States and Japan, despite the travel route barely being around 13 hours.NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitise, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona
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