To explain the presence of the African team in Paris 2024 after playing in the last World Cup, it is necessary to talk about the president of the Basketball Federation of a country that did not exist until 2011 and does not have covered courts.
South Sudan This is one of the revelation basketball teams in Olympic Games since in their first participation they have defeated Puerto Rico and now they will face the United States. This African country, which did not exist until 2011, when it became independent from Sudan, the country with which it has a major rivalry, does not occupy the playing fields in its territory and has already attracted attention when it played to the World Cup in 2023.
The present of this country bordering Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, in addition to Sudan, is not a coincidence, rather it has a name and a surname: Luol Dengthe former basketball player who was twice a part of NBA All-Star and played 15 seasons in the North American league.
Deng was born in Wau in 1985, but he was one of many exiles. With his eight brothers, he left the country through Egypt before his father, Aldo Deng, a member of the Sudanese Government, was imprisoned after a coup d’état. The family will not see each other again until Deng Sr. is released. and left for Britain. His basketball path began in London itself because There he was spotted by an American basketball scout and offered a scholarship to an academy in New Jersey..
This is how he started his career in the orange ball and In 2004 he was selected number seven in the draft. to join the Chicago Bulls. He will then continue his career in Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves until he retired in 2019 after an extraordinary career spanning 15 seasons.
Beyond its origin, at the level of choice He competed for Great Britain and competed in the 2012 London Olympics.. But his relationship with Sudan did not end because his family passed on the culture and traditions to him. “We always live prepared to return one day. I think that is why I have always believed in the importance of giving back and knowing that there are many people out there who need everything we give”he said earlier.
That is why after leaving the professional activity, he returned to become president of the Basketball Federation of his country of origin at the end of 2019, where basketball is not an easy discipline to practice, to the point that The economic crisis affecting the country means that they do not have internal courts.
Furthermore, only in 2011 the independence referendum had an overwhelmingly favorable result (99% of the votes) and On July 9, South Sudan became the world’s youngest sovereign state. But history still connects with him Sudan: Before the Puerto Rico match, the organization played the anthem of Sudan, instead of South Sudan. Basketball is already a source of national pride and perhaps in the future it will be the main reference for the entire world.
How did that hopeful path to discipline begin? In 2020 Deng became the coach of the national team, but in 2021 he hired another old acquaintance from the NBA: Royal Ivey, an American who spent ten years in the league and was Steve Nash’s assistant. With this Sudan achieved the best results: qualification for the World Cup and then for Paris 2024. But in addition to sports, the team’s achievement fills a country with pride that, except for the basketball team, has only two athletes in the competition.
“We are a group of people where success is only important for what it means for our country. “It’s not about basketball, it’s about South Sudan.”Deng said before the Games began in remarks on the event’s official website. At the same time, he contextualized: “I think we are the first team in the history of basketball to qualify for the World Cup without a single indoor basketball court in the whole country. This allows us to show the potential of South Sudan. For a long time we were a country where, while a World Cup was being held, we were busy with other things. “Now we sit at the same table as the other 32 teams.”.
“We are a group of people where success is only important for what it means for our country. “It’s not about basketball, it’s about South Sudan.”
At the beginning of the Games they started with a surprising win in group C (which also includes the United States and Serbia) against Puerto Rico by 90 to 79 and this Wednesday, from 4 pm, they will face the Dream Team in search of a historic success already He came close to doing so in a preparation duel before the start of the competition where they scored 16 points.but an impeccable LeBron James turned the game around so that it ended 101 to 100. Revenge was at hand and for that he had an NBA player (Jokhow Panom “JT” Thor, who is the figure) and many hopes. Will they get it?
Source: Tycsports
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