As the ultimate whistle rang out, signalling South Sudan’s defeat to Serbia and their elimination from the Basketball World Cup on Wednesday 30 August 2023, diehard fan Deng Makuc mentioned he was disenchanted however proud.
“We have shown (the world) that it’s not only the war that we have in our country, but we can do better in other fields,” the Juba resident instructed AFP.
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South Sudan ranked 62 worldwide
Ranked 62 on this planet, the South Sudanese facet surprised China to assert their first-ever victory on Monday throughout their World Cup debut in Manila — providing their residents a uncommon respite from the long-running crises going through the younger nation.
The impoverished, violence-wracked nation received independence from Sudan in 2011 earlier than descending right into a five-year civil battle that killed almost 400,000 individuals between 2013 and 2018.
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South Sudan performed their first official worldwide basketball sport simply six years in the past.
Hopes have been excessive on Wednesday as tons of of followers gathered on the Nimra Talata basketball stadium within the capital, Juba, to cheer the team, blowing vuvuzelas and donning the colors of the nationwide flag whereas an enormous display screen broadcast the motion from the Philippines.
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Even the 115-83 loss by their team, which is nicknamed the Bright Stars, did little to dampen their spirits.
“For me as a person, I do not care about the outcome. What I care about is the way they have played, the way they have tried and the way they have put us on the map in the world of basketball,” Mary Nyanut instructed AFP.
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The finest is but to come back within the basketball team
“I know the best is yet to come,” she added. Others hailed the team’s defeat of China earlier within the week. “We were able to play with the giants of the world,” mentioned Paul Isaac.
For “a small country like South Sudan to come and win against China, this is huge”, he added. The team’s rise has been masterminded by Luol Deng, former Chicago Bulls participant and now president of the nation’s basketball federation.
As the team’s coach through the qualifiers, the charismatic double NBA All-Star led the team to a historic qualification for the World Cup.
Currently, the assistant to go coach Royal Ivey through the World Cup, he’s aiming to safe the team a spot within the Paris Olympics, which will likely be awarded to the perfect of 5 African nations, with Cape Verde, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Angola additionally within the working.
South Sudan is likely one of the poorest international locations
One of the poorest international locations on the planet despite giant oil reserves, South Sudan, has spent virtually half of its life as a nation at battle and continues to be roiled by outbreaks of politically motivated ethnic violence.
But its basketball goals have introduced South Sudan collectively, with a number of followers telling AFP the nation was standing as one to cheer the team. “As you can see, there is no tribe, there is no what; people are coming together to support their team,” mentioned Hillary Gaga Michael.
“South Sudan’s image in the outside world has been best known for bad things such as war and conflict, (but) our boys there… did remarkable things,” he added. “It is really historic for us as South Sudanese,” he instructed AFP. “Now the world will know us as basketballers.”
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© Agence France-Presse
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