Malawi (MAW)

In 1953, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed. It consisted of the colonies of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland. Of these three, Southern Rhodesia had earlier appeared at the Olympics in 1928, but the new federation founded its own National Olympic Committee. The nation first participated in the 1960 Roma Olympics, sending a team of 14 competitors, although it is not known if any of them were from Nyasaland. The Federation soon broke up and Nyasaland became Malawi.

Founded in early 1968, Malawi’s National Olympic Committee was initially granted only provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 19 August 1968, which was confirmed at the IOC session in Mexico City, in October 1968. Full recognition followed at the IOC session in Luxembourg, in September 1971. Malawi first competed at the 1972 Olympic Games, but was absent in 1976 and 1980. Since 1984, it has been present at each Olympics.

Malawi has never competed at the Olympic Winter Games and, through 2022, has never won an Olympic medal. In 1984, Peter Ayesu, a flyweight boxer, won two matches and lost one, to finish equal fifth of 32 competitors, the best finish ever by a Malawian Olympian.