A major blunder marred the start of South Sudan’s Olympic basketball campaign when organizers mistakenly played the Sudanese national anthem instead of their own.
The incident occurred at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Sunday before their match against Puerto Rico.
The error sparked immediate backlash from the crowd, who booed as the wrong anthem played. Organizers quickly corrected the mistake, followed by a round of applause from the spectators.
South Sudan player Majok Deng expressed his disappointment, calling the incident “disrespectful.” “There’s no way you can get that wrong by playing a different anthem,” he said. “It’s the biggest stage.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games organizers issued a formal apology for the “human error,” acknowledging the seriousness of the mistake.
This is the second such blunder in a week, following the incorrect introduction of South Korea as North Korea during the opening ceremony.
Despite the unfortunate start, South Sudan managed to secure a 90-79 victory over Puerto Rico. The young nation, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, is making its Olympic debut.
