Opposition from International Sports Bodies.

Despite the South African Government's propaganda about the Games a number of Governments and international sports organisations refused to allow participation in the Games.

After the 1972 Olympics at Munich Indian, Pakistani and Kenyan Olympic officials announced that their countries would not take part in the events (Rand Daily Mail, September 5, 1972). The Australian Amateur Athletics Union declined an invitation to send a team of four top athletes to compete in the Games because of a 1970 resolution of the Union supporting the International Amateur Athletics Federation's suspension of South Africa from international competition (The Times, December 13, 1972). The Swedish Sports Federation, representing all the country's Olympic and other sports bodies, unanimously decided to reject any invitation to the Games (Rand Daily Mail, February 16, 1973), and the Papua-New Guinea Bowls Association withdrew from the bowls tournament because of opposition by the Territory's government (Rand Daily Mail, October 31, 1972).

In February the International Amateur Cycling Federation announced that it had confirmed South Africa's expulsion from the world body and had refused to grant dispensation to allow overseas riders to compete in the Games (Rand Daily Mail, February 28, 1973).