Wrong Spanish anthem played at badminton world championships

Madrid: Spain’s Carolina Marin took it in her stride when a Spanish national anthem associated with Franco’s right-wing dictatorship echoed on Sunday in celebration of the defence of her women’s singles title at the badminton world championships in Indonesia.

The 22-year-old’s face did not give anything away as organisers played the old version of the anthem with lyrics by poet Jose Maria Peman during the podium ceremony in Jakarta, images broadcast on Spanish TV showed.

The world number one looked straight ahead and smiled as the red and yellow Spanish flag was raised during the ceremony after her two-game victory over Indian second seed Salina Nehwal.

The online edition of daily newspaper El Mundo called the use of the old anthem, which includes the lyrics “Long live Spain! Raise your arms, sons of Spain, who will once again arise”, a “serious mistake on the part of tournament organisers”.

Spain’s national anthem, the “Royal March”, has been played without words since 1978, three years after Franco’s death, when Peman’s lyrics were ditched.

Badminton’s governing body later apologised to Marin for the “unfortunate mistake”.