The South Sudan National Olympic Committee on Wednesday dismissed fears that the National Basketball Team will not participate in the upcoming Olympics in Paris, France in August 2024.
Last week, a communique was issued by Eunice Phillip, South Sudan’s Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, warning about challenges that may impede the South Sudan team from participating.
The information said entering data to the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics and processing visas for the team and other officials were all behind schedule.
However, speaking at a press conference in Juba on Wednesday, Juma Stephen Luggo, the President of the South Sudan National Olympics Committee, guaranteed that the National Basketball Team will participate in the Olympics.
“We want to assure South Sudanese that the country will be there and participate in Paris. And if there are other federations like athletics and the rest if they qualify, they will also participate with the basketball team,” he reassured. “We are privileged to work closely with the ministry (youth), South Sudan Olympic Committee, and the basketball federation to iron out what is hindering the work, but there is no obstacle. Things are going smoothly.”
Luggo however revealed that the committee is running against time to ensure all the passports of players and officials are processed and information entered to the organizing committee’s database in Paris before the deadline.
“The issue of the passports was the concern. The organizing committee has a deadline which is nearing. So, we are working together to make sure we enter all the information in the database in the coming days,” he stated.
For his part, Justin Stephen, the director general at the National Ministry of Youth and Sports, said visas to France will be issued at the Embassy of France in Ethiopia and to the African Union in Addis Ababa.
“The process of getting the visa takes 7 to 14 days but I think the Olympic Committee has talked to the French Ambassador here in Juba,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eunice Phillip, the Chef de Mission of the Paris Olympics, urged fans who intend to travel to register with the committee so that their names are submitted to the French Embassy in Addis Ababa for visa processing.