In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Brunei originally planned to participate, but was expelled on the day of the opening ceremony after failing to register any athletes with the IOC.

[2] As of 2010 Brunei was, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, one of only three countries never to have sent a female athlete to the Olympic Games, despite only having a total of four Olympians beforehand.

The International Olympic Committee in 2010 announced it would "press" these countries to allow and facilitate women's participation.

At the inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010, for which mixed teams were a requirement, Brunei's three-person delegation did include two girls (Amanda Jia Xin Liew in swimming and Maziah Mahusin in hurdling).

[3] In March 2012, Brunei informed the IOC that it intended for Maziah Mahusin to compete in London.