Instances of incorrect anthems being played at major events have stunned the sporting world in the past. Here are five prominent howlers.
A crippling loss, a sub-par performance, a stray incident on the pitch — this is the stuff that athletes’ nightmares are made of. But few things can be more embarrassing at a sporting event than when the wrong national anthem is played. Imagine, you’re the pride of the nation, standing straight faced, and the anthem that starts playing isn’t the one you’ve proudly sung all your life. Here are a few occasions when such gaffes caused considerable heartburn to organisers and athletes alike.
(Representative image)
Agencies
2/6
Diplomatic (S)pain
While most entries on this list were taken with a pinch of salt and good humour, the 2003 Davis Cup final between Australia and Spain nearly spilled over into diplomatic waters. Apparently, a famed local jazz trumpeter was hired to play the national anthems at the event, and of course, he played the wrong Spanish anthem. Instead of the official Marcha Real, he played a version of the Himno de Riego, which stopped being the anthem over six decades ago. Spanish sports secretary Juan Antonio Gomez-Angulo stormed out of the stadium and threatened to pull his team out of the event unless a full apology was made. The mix-up clearly messed the team’s preparations, as the Spaniards lost the tie 3-1.
Agencies
3/6
Oh, Those Scots
While Scotland had a great run in the game, the Scottish Rugby Union was left red-faced when an old version of the Georgian national anthem was played prematch last month in Edinburgh. After being brought to the notice by the UK ambassador for Georgia on Twitter, the Union was left with little choice but to issue an apology.
Agencies
4/6
Many A Slip
National anthems can be an emotional affair. So you can blame the famous American geographical ineptitude for the next mix-up. The University of Phoenix Stadium was playing host to a Mexico vs Uruguay match at the 2016 Copa America. And as the Uruguayan team waited proudly to hear their anthem, what they heard was the Chilean national anthem. Clearly, the mix-up messed with the Uruguayan heads, as they went on to lose 3-1.
Agencies
5/6
Great Success. Not!
Who cannot let out a chuckle at Borat, the hilariously offensive character played by Sacha Baron Cohen? The Kazakhstan shooting team, however, might have a different opinion. Back in 2012, when at a medal ceremony at an event in Kuwait, the parody anthem from the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was played instead of the actual one. It’s no secret that the parody did not paint a very flattering picture of Kazakhstan or its people. Gold medallist Maria Dmitrienko, though, was graceful despite the outrageous mistake.
Agencies
6/6
Pardon My French
The Albanians weren’t as gracious as their Georgian mates, however. The football team in its Euro 2020 qualifier against France last month refused to play after the players heard the Andorra national anthem instead of their own at the Stade de France. But the horror didn’t end there. After the error was noticed, and the right anthem was about to be played, the stadium announcer said, “Please respect the Armenian national anthem.” Truth is often stranger than fiction.
