Juba, South Sudan — The young and vibrant South Sudan basketball team has ended its longest run in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today following a defeat to the defending Champions, Tunisia, after conceding 80 to 65 points in quarterfinals.
Unlike the Champions, Tunisia, which has not lost a game so far in this competition, South Sudan which joined FIBA in 2013, has kept up through thick and thin defeating both Uganda and Kenya through very narrow margins in the group stage and earned free points against Cameroonian team whose players tested COVID-19 positive.
The debutants lost against the defending champions turned out to be South Sudan’s biggest challenge; however, the South Sudan basketball coach, Mr. Royal Ivey, who is also an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA, pledged that his team will return with great momentums,Â
“I am lost for words because these guys did everything I asked them to do from day one,” Ivey told BBC Sport Africa.
“We have been here for almost a month, they sacrificed time with their family, they sacrificed their freedom being in the bubble and these guys work hard. And if I asked them to run through the wall, they will do it.
“And I am so appreciative. This young team – we got a lot to be proud of. I told these guys back in the locker room, ‘don’t hold your head,’ they are hurting right now, I am hurting right now, it is a tough loss you know.
Ivey believes that the future remains bright for South Sudanese basketball team and therefore they have to accept what they got and have to pledge their gratitude for the opportunity they got to complete at the highest level.
“At the end of the day we have a bright future. So we take the good with the bad, the happy with the sad, and show gratitude for the opportunity to compete at a high level.” Ivey said.
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, the president of South Sudan Basketball Federation, Luol Deng, said South Sudan has been through a lot – describing the world’s youngest nation as a place where people never make it to return home at the end of the day.Â
“We come from a country that has been through a lot,” the two-time NBA All-Star told BBC Sport Africa.
“Some of these kids – what they went through – is something that you cannot control and as life goes on, a lot of people never get an opportunity to come back home, let alone to wear a jersey and represent the nation.” He continued.
Deng believes that playing basketball might be emotional but it can heal the wounds the country is going through.
“For them it is more than just a game, it is really emotional, to just be recognized by their own people and to be known even for the game.” Luol said.
“I really believe that sport can turn a lot of things around for us – for us just to see us in the news and see others things besides the conflict and what is going and the difficult times people are having.” He added.
Deng, who spent 15 years in the NBA representing Great Britain at international level, believes that South Sudanese have perfect heights, genetic and skills to be world renowned basketball players, stressing that all they need is an opportunity!
“This game just perfectly fits who we are – it fits our height, it fits our genetics, it fits our skills,” explained a man who fled war in his homeland prior to growing up as a refugee in England.
“We are blessed to have basketball but we just never had the opportunity to expose it and to give our kids the chance to be great at it.”
The defending Champion Tunisia will head to semifinals to meet Cape Verde and Senegal will meet Ivory Coast.
The other three teams that lost in Wednesday and Thursday games alongside South Sudan include Uganda which lost to Cape Verde, Angola which lost to Senegal and Guinea which lost to the Ivory Coast side.
The four winners of quarter-finals will meet for semi-finals on Saturday and winners will advance to final on Sunday. All will be played in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
