In a regrettable mishap at the Olympics in France, organisers played the wrong national anthem for South Sudan ahead of the country’s opening men’s basketball game against Puerto Rico.
Spectators at the Pierre Mauroy stadium reacted with boos when the Sudanese anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Sudan’s.
After a brief pause, the error was swiftly corrected, and the crowd ovated in support of the South Sudanese team.
Organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games promptly apologised for what they termed a “human error.” Majok Deng, one of South Sudan’s players, expressed disappointment, calling the mistake “disrespectful.”
“They [the organisers] have to be better because this is the biggest stage, and you know that South Sudan is playing,” Deng emphasised. “You cannot get that wrong by playing a different anthem. It’s disrespectful.”
Acknowledging the gravity of the mistake, the organisers conveyed their “most sincere apologies to the team from South Sudan and their supporters.”
This incident marks the second apology issued by organisers during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Previously, South Korea’s athletes were introduced mistakenly as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” during the opening ceremony—an error attributed to confusion with North Korea’s official name.
Despite the anthem mix-up, South Sudan’s team showed resilience and secured a victory over Puerto Rico with a score of 90-79.
This accomplishment holds significance as South Sudan, having gained independence from Sudan in 2011, qualified for its first-ever Olympic Games last year.
In a prelude to the Olympics, South Sudan narrowly lost an exhibition game to the United States by just one point, a testament to their growing prowess in international competition.
