Why did 28 countries boycott the 1976 summer Olympics?

Answer 1

The 28 African countries boycotted the 1976 Summer Games due to the inclusion of New Zealand in the Games after New Zealand played South Africa in rugby. South Africa had been banned from the Olympics since 1964 due to its apartheid policy and the African countries believed that New Zealand should also be banned for continuing to play South Africa in international sport. When the IOC refused to ban New Zealand, the African countries boycotted.

Answer 2

Kenya has boycotted two Olympic games, one in 1976 and one in 1980. At the 1976 Olympic Games, Kenya, along with 27 other countries, boycotted because of the Olympic Comity's failure to ban New Zealand. New Zealand's national rugby union team went to South Africa on an "All Blacks tour," instead of boycotting the country during the apartheid. In 1980, Kenya was one of 65 countries to not participate in the Olympic games. The boycott was part of the United States group of actions to protest the USSR's war in Afghanistan.

Answer 3

The boycott of the 1980 Olympics (Moscow) was because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It wasn't notably or primarily an African reaction, though.

In contrast, the boycott of the 1976 Olympics (Montreal) was mainly an "African thing", with the notable inclusion of China as well. It had to do with the International Olympic Committee refusing to ban New Zealand from participating in the games.

So... what do Africans have against New Zealand, anyway? It seems that the New Zealand national Rugby team had visited South Africa, and it was really South Africa that had everyone's panties in a twist.

(China probably didn't much care about New Zealand or South Africa. Both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) did not attend the 1976 games, as sort of a mutual boycott based on the fact that the other one was even invited.)