World Basketball Championship: The Bright Stars
It was a moment of communion with the “Bright Stars” who were playing in the Philippines, 10,000 kilometres from the South Sudanese capital.
«We were able to play with the giants of the world and beat one of them. China is one of the biggest countries in the world in terms of economy and politics, but for a small country like South Sudan to come and win against them is huge. Our players have changed the image of the world and the way people look at us» said Bright Stars fan Paul Isaac.
On Monday, South Sudan recorded their first victory in the Basketball World Cup, beating China 89-69. It was enough to make up for Wednesday’s 115-83 defeat by Serbia, ranked sixth in the world, and their elimination in the group stage. The victory hoped for to qualify for the second round did not materialise.
«Our country is known for different things, but social issues are very important to us and to these young people. They have raised our heads and encouraged us and many others. Our country knows that there are people in the world who don’t know us. Now they know us thanks to this team, and we congratulate them. This is the first time we’ve taken part in the Basketball World Cup and won three points. They have done this to give us hope for our country» said Bright Stars fan Adab Mayuen.
Hope for a country best known for the civil war that devastated it between 2013 and 2018, leaving at least 380,000 people dead and millions displaced.
Coach of the national team during the qualifiers, the charismatic two-time NBA All Star led the team to a historic qualification for the World Cup.
On the bench as an assistant during the tournament, he and his players still have one objective for the classification matches: to secure a ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris, which will be awarded to the best of the five African nations, along with Cape Verde, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola.
Louis-Victor
