The Paris Olympics Already Has Its First Drone Controversy

The New Zealand ladies’s soccer staff complained to the IOC when a drone flyover of apply was linked to Canada, its first-round opponent.

New Zealand — New Zealand says it has complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after a drone flown over a New Zealand ladies’s soccer staff coaching session was discovered to be operated by a member of the Canadian staff’s help employees.

Defending Olympic champion Canada and New Zealand meet of their opening match on the Olympic match on Thursday. The drone incident occurred earlier this week, the New Zealand Olympic Committee stated Wednesday.

“Team support members immediately reported the incident to police leading to the drone operator, who has been identified as a support staff member of the wider Canadian Women’s football team, to be detained,” the NZOC stated in a press release.

“The NZOC has formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee has apologized to the NZOC and New Zealand Football.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed,” the assertion stated. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”

The NZOC stated it and New Zealand Football “are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games — at this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”

It’s not the primary time a Canadian soccer staff has been concerned in a drone controversy involving a global rival’s coaching session.

In 2021 at Toronto, Honduras stopped a coaching session forward of its males’s World Cup qualifier in opposition to Canada after recognizing a drone above the sphere, based on stories in Honduran media. The groups performed to a 1-1 draw.