VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — South Sudan’s Olympic debut in men’s basketball began with a technical problem.
But that didn’t stop the team from making history by claiming the country’s first Olympic victory: a 90-79 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Before kick-off, the wrong national anthem was played for the African nation, which emerged from a civil war to become an independent nation in 2011. The recorded track cut out after 20 seconds.
South Sudan’s players and supporters were left bewildered, prompting booing from fans of both teams at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium. They then began to applaud as South Sudan’s players stood in unison with their hands over their hearts, hoping for the issue to be resolved.
The Puerto Rican players did the same in solidarity.
“It’s pride for their country,” said South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, who is American. “South Sudan. ‘Sud’ means ‘the land of the blacks.’ These kids wanted to play. They wanted to hear their anthem.”
“They messed up the anthem, but they did it right. We all make mistakes. I’m definitely going to put that in the comments. But at the end of the day, these guys are brothers.”
The audio track resumed, this time with the correct anthem, about three minutes later, to a standing ovation from the fans. When it concluded, the South Sudan players hugged each other and prepared for kick-off.
“It just gave us more fuel on the fire,” said South Sudan forward Nuni Omot, who finished with 12 points. “Obviously, we felt disrespected when that happened. We have to continue to earn our respect. So, I think we have to continue to show the world what we’re capable of. That was just a testament to the fact that people still don’t respect us.”
But Omot also appreciated the response of the Puerto Rican players and fans inside the stadium.
“I respect them, I respect the people,” Omot said. “Obviously, they want us to succeed. The fact that they can respect us and be with us during that time, and listen to us and wait for us, is a testament to the kind of people they are.”
