South Sudan’s Olympic basketball debut began with an awkward anthem error but ended with a stunning victory for the men’s team over Puerto Rico.
Before the start of Sunday’s match against Puerto Rico, the African country’s national anthem was abruptly cut off about 20 seconds into the recorded track. Several online reports claimed that it was Sudan’s national anthem — and not South Sudan’s — that was playing over the arena’s speakers. South Sudan qualified for the Paris Games for the first time last year after emerging from civil war with Sudan to become an independent nation in 2011.
The Sudanese players and their fans were initially stunned, prompting fans of both teams at Lille’s Pierre Mauroy Stadium to boo. They then began to applaud as the Sudanese players stood in unison with their hands over their hearts, waiting for the matter to be resolved.
In solidarity, the Puerto Rican players did the same.
The audio track was restarted about three minutes later to the applause of the fans. When it was over, the South Sudanese players embraced each other and immediately provided the first big surprise of the ongoing Olympics.
South Sudan’s Olympic basketball debut began Sunday with an awkward national anthem disruption
South Sudan fans react after wrong national anthem was played before Sunday’s match
Several online posts claim it was the national anthem of Sudan – and not that of South Sudan.
Carlik Jones scored 19 points and South Sudan came back in the second half to beat Puerto Rico 90-79 in the opening game of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
It was the first Olympic basketball victory for South Sudan, which is making its first appearance at the Olympics after qualifying as the top African finisher at last year’s World Cup. Marial Shayok added 15 points for South Sudan, which faces the United States on Tuesday.
Puerto Rico led the entire first half of Group C play, but was disrupted late in the second quarter when leading scorer Jose Alvarado was forced off with an apparent ankle sprain. He returned early in the third quarter and finished with 26 points and five assists. Tremont Waters added 18 points.
But South Sudan took control in the closing stages and built up a lead of no less than 13 points with just over three minutes left to play.
Wenyen Gabriel #9 of Team South Sudan dunks the ball during the Men’s Group Phase
A confused South Sudanese fan stands up during the playing of another national anthem
South Sudan, which nearly pulled off a stunning exhibition match against the US just before the start of the Olympics, showed the same fighting spirit on Sunday against a team from Puerto Rico that it lost to at last year’s World Cup.
Alvarado was escorted off the court by two coaches with 3.5 seconds left in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on a basket by teammate Carlik Jones. Alvarado immediately grabbed his ankle.
When play was stopped seconds later, he continued to write in pain before being treated and taken to the locker room. He was the most dominant player on the court for both sides in the first half, leading Puerto Rico with 19 points.
Alvarado emerged from the locker room shortly after the start of the third quarter and returned to action with 7:52 minutes left on the clock.
But he couldn’t save his team.
Omot hit a three-pointer from the wing as part of an 11-0 run to give his team the lead for the first time, 56-54.
The lead quickly grew to eight points. Puerto Rico, fueled by seven points in the quarter from Alvarado, cut the deficit to 71-69 entering the fourth quarter.
But South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 19-10 in the last 10 minutes.
Sunday’s victory marked only the second time since 1996 that an African team has won an Olympic men’s basketball match.
