8 Jun 2012

British apologise for playing wrong South African anthem

12:11 pm on 8 June 2012

South Africa have received an official apology from British hockey bosses after the apartheid anthem 'Die Stem' was mistakenly played before their match in a pre-Olympic tournament in London.

Marissa Langeni, chief executive of the South African Hockey Association, said in a letter to tournament organisers, the country watched in disbelief as their team stood through what clearly was a most embarrassing and uncomfortable experience.

South Africa's women went on to beat Great Britain 3-1 in their opening game of the tournament.