Basketball
South Sudan Basketball Coach Calls 2024 Olympic Refereeing a ‘Pavement’
Serbia – South Sudan / Photo: © Gregory Shamus / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
South Sudan national basketball team head coach Royal Ivey has said referees were biased against his team in a key group stage match of the 2024 Olympic tournament.
South Sudan lost to Serbia 85-96 in their final group game on Saturday to miss out on a playoff spot. Serbia attempted 31 free throws during the game, while South Sudan attempted six. Ivey received a technical foul during the game for arguing with the referee.
“It’s a travesty. How did they take 31 free throws and we took six? How? My guys gave it their all: blood, sweat and tears. And now you tell me, how did it happen that we only took six free throws? We only got one free throw in the second half,” AP quotes the coach as saying.
The quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics will feature Brazil vs. the United States, Germany vs. Greece, France vs. Canada, and Serbia vs. Australia. The matches will be held on August 6. The final of the Olympic basketball tournament will be held on August 10 in Paris.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.