Rio Olympics: Wrong Chinese flag used in medal ceremonies
Rio De Janeiro, Aug 9 (IANS) Chinese viewers and media were enraged after the wrong Chinese national flag was repeatedly used during medal presentation ceremonies, a media report said on Monday.
The Rio organising committee was understood to be hastily sourcing the correct design for China, the Independent reported.
The China Central Television (CCTV) spotted the error in Rio and used social media to draw attention to it.
According to the South China Morning Post, the host of CCTV, Cui Yongyuan told his nine million followers on Weibo: “I am not trying to be picky because of obsessive compulsive disorder, but this is the national flag… it is a principle that even primary school students could understand. The national flag is the symbol of a country. No mistakes are allowed!”
The Chinese flag has five stars in the top left hand corner — a large one with four smaller ones to its right.
The small stars are meant to circle and point to the main star but an inaccurate version used in shooting and swimming medal ceremonies had the little ones parallel to each other.
According to the Independent, Australia’s Channel 7 also irked Chinese viewers this week after displaying Chile’s flag by mistake in a medal tally table.
One viewer was extremely offended they started a petition demanding an apology, declaring: “a national flag of China should be the absolute last thing for them to get it wrong.”
Rio organisers insisted all national flags had been approved by national Olympic committees prior to the games.