‘This team is a beam of light’: World No.62 seal Olympics spot after epic WC run
South Sudan and Japan each certified for the Paris Olympics on the Basketball World Cup on Saturday because the match’s highest-placed finishers from Africa and Asia.
World Cup debutants South Sudan, who performed their first official worldwide recreation solely six years in the past, beat Angola 101-78 in Manila to assert their third win of the competitors.
Nearest challengers Egypt then misplaced 88-86 to New Zealand to ship South Sudan to Paris, finishing the world quantity 62-ranked staff’s fairytale rise on the world stage.
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The nation has lurched from one disaster to a different since successful independence in 2011 however the staff’s World Cup performances have captured the general public’s creativeness, with crowds gathering to look at on large screens within the capital Juba.
An emotional head coach Royal Ivey mentioned they’d introduced “unity, camaraderie, love and friendship” to the nation.
“This team is a beam of light,” he mentioned.
“This country has only been independent for 12 years. To do this is incredible.”
South Sudan have gained plaudits for his or her dynamic play and constructive angle on and off the court docket on the World Cup being held within the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
They pulled off a historic win after they beat basketball-obsessed China of their second recreation, earlier than downing the Philippines within the classification stage.
South Sudan captain Kuany Ngor Kuany mentioned he was proud to “create history” by representing his nation.
“We’ve had a lot of athletes representing different countries under different flags,” mentioned Kuany, who was born in South Sudan however moved to Australia as a nine-year-old.
“For us to be able to do it for the first time as a country really means a lot and that’s why we were fighting so hard to be able to get that opportunity.”
– Japan clinch spot –
Japan claimed their place on the Paris Games with a nervy 80-71 win over Cape Verde in Okinawa.
Japan had not certified for the Olympic basketball match besides as hosts for 48 years, however their third win of the World Cup put them out of attain of their nearest Asian challengers.
They got here from behind late to beat each Finland and Venezuela and head coach Tom Hovasse mentioned they’d “gained the respect of our opponents”.
“I think we showed the world what we can do, and now we’re on everybody’s radar, we’re on everybody’s map,” mentioned the American, who led Japan’s girls’s staff to the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo two years in the past.
“Gaining respect is a big step, winning games at this level is a huge step, so I’m really proud of what we did.”
Japan took management towards Cape Verde however suffered a late meltdown that nearly price them the sport.
They conceded the primary 13 factors of the fourth quarter earlier than they regained their composure to shut out the win.
Hovasse mentioned the fourth quarter was “hectic and could have been disastrous” however trusted his gamers to return via in the long run.
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Japan’s win meant China have been eradicated from Olympic qualifying rivalry earlier than their recreation towards the Philippines had even ended.
In the occasion, they misplaced 96-75 to the co-hosts for his or her fourth defeat of the match.
“Once you’re tired, once the difficulties start, you have to use your head — our head was not used in the proper way tonight in the second half,” mentioned China head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic.
The highest-placed World Cup finishers from every of Asia, Africa and Oceania all qualify for Paris, together with the highest two groups from each Europe and the Americas.
Australia have already claimed the Oceania berth, whereas France qualify mechanically as hosts.
Four additional spots on the 12-team Olympic competitors might be up for grabs at subsequent 12 months’s qualifying match
