Historically, India was a juggernaut at field hockey until the 1980s and has a hard time restarting that success, at least, at the Olympic level.
Cricket is exceedingly popular that it’s everywhere. It’s also an incredibly long game to spectate and if the stadiums aren’t nice, then it’s like watching paint dry while sitting in terrible seats, under the hot sun. T20, what they’ll play at Los Angeles 2028, will be 3.5 hours. India is ranked Number 1 in T20 (and top in most other type of Cricket too). India has a chance to make the “Dream Team” of cricket for '28, but we can only wait to see how they do.
Exceptionally poor country, but significant money spent by government on athletes.
And notable level of success; ranked 68 in olympic medals from Paris 2024. Ranked
48 in all time count.
As of 2023, North Korea’s GDP per capita is estimated to be $1,217 based on nominal GDP and $1,500 based on PPP. This ranks North Korea 178th in the world for nominal GDP per capita and 180th for PPP.
North Korean athletes have won a total of 57 medals, two of which were won at the Winter Games. Government funding plays a major role in Korea’s success. Elite athletes often enjoy highly developed facilities and luxurious lifestyles, compared with their peers.[1]