South Sudan’s men’s basketball team experienced a technical mishap during their Olympic debut but still made history by achieving their first Olympic victory with a 90-79 win against Puerto Rico.
Prior to the game, the incorrect national anthem was played for South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011. The anthem was halted after just 20 seconds. The South Sudanese players responded with applause and solidarity, standing with their hands over their hearts as they waited for the issue to be resolved. Puerto Rican athletes showed similar support.
South Sudan’s coach, Royal Ivey, noted, “It’s their national pride. South Sudan. ‘Sud’ means ‘the land of the Black.’ These players were eager to compete and hear their anthem. They made a mistake with the anthem, but they corrected it. We all make errors. I will definitely mention that in my feedback. But ultimately, these players are like brothers.”
The correct anthem was played after about three minutes, receiving applause from the audience. Following the anthem, South Sudan’s team focused on the game.
Forward Nuni Omot, who scored 12 points, said, “It motivated us even more. We felt disrespected by what happened. We still need to earn respect. So, we have to keep proving to the world what we can do. It was a reminder that some people still don’t respect us.”
South Sudan nearly defeated Team USA in a pre-Olympics exhibition, losing 101-100 due to a last-minute layup by LeBron James.