South Sudan‘s Olympic debut in men’s basketball started badly, but ended with the nation’s first victory at the games, a 90-79 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday.
The wrong national anthem was played for the African nation before the start of the game. The recorded track was stopped after 20 seconds.
The South Sudanese players and their fans stood confused, and booing commenced. They then began clapping as South Sudan’s players stood in unison with their hands over their hearts, waiting for the right song.
Puerto Rican players did the same in solidarity. “It’s the pride for their country,” said South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, who is American. “South Sudan. ‘Sud’ means ‘the land of the Black.’ These guys wanted to play.
Read more on deadline.com