Paris Olympics faced several operational challenges early in the Games. During the opening ceremony, announcers mistakenly introduced South Korea as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the official name of North Korea, with errors occurring in both French and English.
In response, the South Korean delegation and the Korea Sports & Olympic Committee have requested apologies and assurances from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organizing committee to prevent such mistakes in the future. Unfortunately, the issues did not stop there.
In the men’s sabre individual final in fencing, the name of the gold medalist, Oh Sang Wook, was incorrectly listed as “Oh Sang Ku.”
Another error occurred during a men’s basketball game.
During the opening Group C match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, the wrong national anthem was played for South Sudan. ESPN and Yonhap News reported that the South Sudan players appeared confused before the supporters inside the stadium responded with boos. The players from both teams stood with their hands on their hearts, waiting for the correct anthem. The incorrect anthem played for 20 seconds before being stopped, and three minutes later, the correct South Sudan anthem played, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
South Sudan adopted its national anthem in February 2011 after a long civil war marked by tribal and religious conflicts, which eventually led to its independence.
South Sudan achieved a historic win by defeating Puerto Rico 90-79, marking their first-ever Olympic victory. Royal Ivey, a former NBA player, coaches the team and features several players with NCAA experience.
South Sudan’s next opponent is the USA, often called the Dream Team. On the 29th, the USA won their opening group-stage game against Serbia with a score of 110-84. The highly anticipated matchup between South Sudan and the USA is scheduled for this Thursday.
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