South Sudan demands explanation after national anthem blunder at Paris Olympics

South Sudan's government demanded an explanation on Monday after the Sudanese national anthem was mistakenly played instead of its own during a basketball match at the Paris Olympics.

The error occurred ahead of South Sudan's opening men's basketball game against Puerto Rico, which the East African nation won in a historic victory.

South Sudan's basketball team made history by becoming the first African side to win their opening match against a non-African team, defeating Puerto Rico 90-79.

Fans from both teams booed, and South Sudanese players were visibly upset as the incorrect national anthem played for nearly 20 seconds before their match with Puerto Rico on Sunday.

Instead of South Sudan's "South Sudan Oyee" anthem, organisers mistakenly played the national anthem of neighbouring Sudan.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in a 2011 referendum following years of civil war, and disputes over their shared borders and natural resources have continued to cause clashes between the two nations.

Speaking during a parliamentary session in Juba on Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Semaya K. Kumba expressed disappointment at the blunder, saying it was "unacceptable" that the Sudan national anthem was played instead of South Sudan's.

"We have taken a formal kind of disappointment to the international community of the Olympics, and we have received a verbal apology," Kumba said.

"But I would like to say that all of us here, there's nobody who can accept that."

The government has contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its embassy in Paris to seek clarification on how the error occurred and to prevent similar incidents in the future.

South Sudan made history on Sunday by becoming the first African team to defeat a non-African opponent at the Olympics, beating Puerto Rico 90-87 in their Group C game.

The team will face the United States on Wednesday with a potential quarter-final berth on the line.

 

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