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South Sudan's basketball team faced an anthem mix-up at the Paris Olympics, sparking criticism from a key player over the error.
South Sudan national team basketball player Majok Deng expressed his displeasure after a significant error occurred at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where organizers mistakenly played the national anthem of Sudan instead of South Sudan's anthem during their opening basketball game against Puerto Rico.
The incident which took place in the packed Pierre Mauroy Stadium led to an initial round of boos from the audience until the correct anthem was played earning a warm ovation.
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Majok Deng did not mince words when discussing the error with reporters after the game.
"They [the organisers] have to be better because this is the biggest stage, and you know that South Sudan is playing.
"There’s no way you can get that wrong by playing a different anthem. It’s disrespectful," he stated as per BBC.
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Despite the mix-up, Deng acknowledged the human aspect of the mistake.
"Obviously, nobody’s perfect. They made a mistake. They played it at the end, and we moved on," he added.
The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games quickly issued an apology, emphasizing their understanding of the gravity of the mistake.
"We offer our most sincere apologies to the team from South Sudan and their supporters for the human error," their statement read.
The incident did not seem to deter the South Sudanese team's spirits as they went on to secure a victory over Puerto Rico with a score of 90 to 79.
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This win is particularly notable as it marks South Sudan's first Olympic participation since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 following a lengthy conflict.
Majok Deng, a 31-year-old forward, has been a significant figure in South Sudanese basketball, first playing for the Bright Stars during the World Cup African Qualifiers in Rwanda on July 22, 2022.
By August 26, 2023, he made his debut at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, facing Puerto Rico.
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His performance has been a beacon for South Sudan’s burgeoning presence on the international sports stage.
Looking ahead, South Sudan is set to face a challenging schedule in Group C of the 2024 Olympics Men's Tournament, which includes matches against three-time defending Olympic champions the United States and Serbia.
Follow us on X (Twitter) for more updates.
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