36ers duo named in Bright Stars squad

Adelaide 36ers Sunday Dech and Lat Mayen are one step closer to representing South Sudan Bright Stars at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Dech and Mayen were included in the 50-man Bright Stars training squad ahead of South Sudan’s men’s basketball debut later this year.

The Bright Stars will be part of the 12-country tournament for the first time just 12 months after finishing 17th in their maiden FIBA World Cup campaign in 2023.

Dech has been a mainstay of the Bright Stars roster of the past two years, leading South Sudan to World Cup qualification for the first time in 2022.

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The 195cm swingman has previously played for the Australian Boomers but decided to play for the Bright Stars in the qualification process to the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“After talking with my family and my partner I feel like it was the right decision to go back to Africa after 21 years and represent my people,” Dech said.

“I think it’s definitely the best decision I have made.”

Nine current NBL25 players and a host of former NBL players made the squad, headlined by the inclusion of NBA forward Bol Bol, who moved to the United States after fleeing the Second Sudanese Civil War in 2001.

South Sudan will play reigning gold medal winners the USA, Serbia and the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Group C.