BEIJING, August 8, 2008 (AFP) - Brunei has been excluded from the Beijing Olympics as the southeast Asian country failed to register any athletes for competition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced shortly before Friday's opening ceremony.

'It is a great shame and very sad for the athletes who lose out because of the decision by their team not to register them,' IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said. 'The IOC tried up until the last minute to have them register but to no avail.'

Brunei's absence means that 204 countries will compete at the Beijing Olympics.