Basketball: South Sudan qualifies for the first time
Next year in Paris, South Sudan’s men’s basketball team will be taking part in the Olympic Games for the first time.
Thanks to a 101-78 victory over Angola on Saturday in Manila, the country has won the only direct ticket to Paris-2024 allocated to the African zone.
The «Bright Stars» who are taking part in their first World Cup, are guaranteed to finish with the best record of the five African teams (three wins to two defeats) after Egypt (2/3) lost to New Zealand (88-86).
«What a game, what a game. I’m speechless to be honest. To go to the Olympics… It’s so unreal » said an emotional Royal Ivey, South Sudan’s American coach, before wiping his eyes.
«I take my hat off to the players. From day one, they believed in us, the staff, we work hard. We were the underdogs and now we’re going to the Olympic Games. Thank you to the Sudanese people for standing by us and supporting us» he added.
«I love this team. It’s an incredible feeling. I’d like to keep it forever» he continued.
The selection of former NBA player Luol Deng, president of the federation and coach for the end of the World Cup qualifiers, has put a smile back on the face of a country that has been independent since 2011 and is struggling to recover from a bloody civil war that left at least 380,000 people dead and millions displaced between 2013 and 2018.
«We are a light (for the people of South Sudan). After each match, we bring unity and brotherhood to this country. This country has only been independent for 12 years. To do that… It’s incredible that Luol Deng has managed to bring us together» said Ivey.
«If we play with such passion, it’s because each victory allows us to show what we’re capable of, to give a positive image of the country other than that of war, corruption and murder» said Kuany Ngor Kuany.
«The simple fact of being here has been a huge achievement (…) to be present at the Olympic Games, with so many athletes from different countries, means a lot as a country», he added.
Japan, for their part, won the direct ticket allocated to the Asian zone after their victory over Cape Verde in Okinawa (80-71).
Australia, the best Oceania country at this World Cup, and France, the host country, had already qualified for the Games.
Geneviève Maeva
