The Summer Olympics are the most important sporting event on the planet. Olympic participation is a rare opportunity for a country like Nepal, where sports culture and professionalism are lacking, and winning a medal is still a dream.

Nepal sent six athletes to the 18th Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in 1964 for the first time. No one was sent to the Olympics in Mexico four years later. Athletics is the only sport that hasn't been overlooked in any of the subsequent editions.

There are three methods for selecting athletes for the Olympics. The first is through a competition, the second is through a wild card quota, and the third is through universal participation. Yes, athletics has received Olympic opportunities as a result of the same global participation.

So far, 30 Nepalese runners, including 8 women, have had the opportunity to compete in a variety of events. Baikuntha Manandhar, a legendary sprinter, won the Olympics four times in 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988. Tika Bogati and Hari Bahadur Rokayaaa have both competed in the Olympics. Long-distance runners have competed in numerous Olympic Games. Following that, the 100-meter dash drew a large crowd.

In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, only seven athletes competed, the lowest number ever for a single version. There is now only one global quota. The only athlete competing in the Tokyo Olympics is Gopichandra Parki from athletics.

Six Nepalese athletes competed in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Bhupendra Silwal and Ganga Bahadur Thapa were among those who had competed in marathon athletics. Despite the fact that they did not finish the race, the image of them running barefoot through Tokyo's streets became a worldwide sensation. Both of them have since died.

The first medalists in Nepali athletics, Jit Bahadur KC and Bhakta Bahadur Sapkota, competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics. He is no longer a coach in sports. Jit Bahadur is still found running in Dasharath Stadium.

Only one Nepalese athlete competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Baikuntha Manandhar, Nepal's gold medalist in athletics, began his international career at this Olympics. His record of three gold medals from the South Asian Games has yet to be surpassed.

Baikuntha competed in the following three Olympics. Despite not winning a medal, he ran a marathon in each of them. In Nepali athletics, he is regarded as the most successful athlete. Baikuntha, who is approaching 70 years old, is still involved in sports. Despite the fact that he retired from the National Sports Council (NSC) after a long career as an athletics coach, he continues to run and teach on the stadium's track.

Baikuntha was one of five runners who competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The marathon was won by Baikuntha and Mukundahari Shrestha, while the 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters, and 100 meters were won by Nara Bahadur Dahal, Laxman Basnet, and Raghuraj Vanta, respectively. Nara Bahadur has been in the United States for a long time. All of the others have left their positions as trainers and have retired. Raghuraj Vanta also became the Athletics Association's president. He is now working as a player producer on his own.

Baikuntha competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles for the third time. Amir Yadav and Arjun Pandit also competed in the marathon category with him. Pushparaj Ojha and Jodha Gurung competed in the 800 and 400 meters, respectively. With the exception of Jodha, they all began their training in Nepal. Athletics' head coach, Amir Yadav, recently announced his retirement. Pushparaj led the Tribhuvan Army team for a time after retiring. Gulmi's Indian Army fighter Jodha remained there.

Nepal sent the largest delegation of 16 athletes to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Seven of them were sportspeople. Baikuntha Manandhar competed in his fourth and final Olympics. Tika Bogati and Krishna Bahadur Basnet competed in the marathon alongside Baikuntha. This is the first time a female sprinter has competed in an Olympic event. In Seoul, Rajkumari Pandey and Menuka Raut ran a marathon. Hari Bahadur Rokayaaa also competed in the 10,000, 5,000, and 1,500 meter races. Dumbar Kunwar competed in the decathlon, as well as the 110m and 400m hurdles. All of them have left Nepal to work as trainers. Hari Bahadur Rokayaa is still actively involved in the production of players in Karnali's remote Jumla.

Hari Bahadur Rokayaa also competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. After Baikuntha, Rokayaa was fortunate enough to be able to compete in the Olympics twice. Nepalese athletes competed in the Barcelona Olympics in athletics.

Tika Bogati of Gorkha had the good fortune to compete in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for the second time. He had run the marathon before. Bimala Ranamagar, a marathon runner, became the third woman to compete in the Olympics at the same time. They have worked as a coach for a long time and continues to do so.

The long-distance runner's tradition took a break after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The tradition of equal opportunity for men and women began at that time as well. Marathon runners were not chosen for the first time in this edition. Gyan Bahadur Bohora and Devi Maya Paneru competed in the 5,000 meters and 100 meters, respectively. Gyan Bahadur is a sportsman in Nepal, while Devi Maya went on to become an Olympian and then fled to the United States.

The 2004 Athens Olympics provided Rajendra Bhandari and Kanchimaya Koju with the opportunity to compete. Rajendra had competed in the 5,000-meter dash, while Kanchi had competed in the 1,500-meter dash. Rajendra, who is in the Nepal Army, has retired from athletics, but Kanchi remains the women's half marathon national champion.

Two athletes have been chosen to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Arjun Bahadur Basnet ran the marathon, while Chandrakala Thapa ran the 100 meters. While Arjun is involved in sports in Nepal, Chandrakala quit her job as a police officer in Nepal and relocated to the United States.

Nepal sent men's and women's sprinters to the London Olympics 2012 for the first time. Tilak Ram Tharu and Pramila Rijal competed in the 100m dash. Pramila has yet to return to Nepal. Tilakram, on the other hand, went into hiding during the 17th Asian Games in South Korea in 2014. The Athletics Association has given him a lifetime ban.

Harikumar Rimal and Saraswati Bhattarai competed in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the 1,500 meters five years ago. These two Tribhuvan Army Club players are still active players.