South Sudanese basketball players wrote a page in their country’s history on Sunday, July 28, 2024, by winning their country’s first victory at the Olympic Games against Puerto Rico (90-79) at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, in the suburbs of Lille. Physically dominant, the Bright Stars took the measure of their opponents after a failed start to the match, with and without the ball. Driven by a mad desire to make their country shine, born in 2011 after a conflict in Sudan (1983-2005), undermined by a civil war (2013-2018) and still today by political and ethnic violence, the South Sudanese won a match that will undoubtedly remain a highlight of these Olympic Games. It should be noted that the organizers used the wrong anthem when broadcasting that of South Sudan, provoking the anger of several supporters and the dismay of the players. After a moment of hesitation, then the applause of the entire stadium in the suburbs of Lille and even the Puerto Rican players, the South Sudanese anthem was finally heard.
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