This screenshot made from a video shows players of Hong Kong and Iran during a match at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Feb 28, 2023.

HONG KONG – There has been another case of an incorrect song being played in place of the national anthem after a match between Hong Kong and Iran at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.

Protesting the incident, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said on Wednesday that it strongly deplored the mistake.

The incorrect song was played after the Hong Kong team defeated Iran 11-1 in Group B of the competition in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After around 10 seconds, some members of the Hong Kong representative team made a "T-sign" to signal there was a problem, local media reported. 

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The athletes and team manager involved have responded immediately in an appropriate manner during the incident, and notified the organizer to stop and make correction swiftly.

Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

According to the video of the match, the Hong Kong athletes followed the guidelines issued by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China ((SF&OC) and lodged a protest immediately. The organizer then made an immediate correction, the government said on Wednesday.

The HKSAR government recognized the action taken by the Hong Kong athletes which upheld national dignity, it added.

It has requested the SF&OC to conduct an in-depth investigation, submit a report as soon as possible and follow up on the incident in a serious manner.

The investigation should include whether the relevant sports association had checked on-site with the event organizer to ensure that the national anthem to be played was correct as stipulated in the guidelines, it added.

In its response to the incident, the SF&OC said it has been in touch closely with the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association (HKIHA) to understand the situation and said that HKIHA has acted according to the relevant guidelines to provide the event organizer with the correct version of the national anthem. 

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“The athletes and team manager involved have responded immediately in an appropriate manner during the incident, and notified the organizer to stop and make correction swiftly. This proves that the relevant guidelines have all along been effective,” reads an SF&OC statement.

The HKIHA has been instructed to investigate the cause of the incident with the organizer in detail and submit a report, it added.