Calm before the storm: Canada players taking a wefie on the pitch at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in St Etienne. Canada face New Zealand today. — AP
WELLINGTON: New Zealand said they have complained to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) integrity unit after a drone flown over a New Zealand women’s football team training session was found to be operated by a member of the Canadian team’s support staff.
Defending Olympic champions Canada and New Zealand meet in their opening match at the Olympic tournament today.
The drone incident occurred earlier this week, the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) said yesterday.
“Team support members immediately reported the incident to police leading to the drone operator, who has been identified as a support staff member of the wider Canadian Women’s football team, to be detained,” the NZOC said in a statement.
“The NZOC have formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and have asked Canada for a full review.”
The NZOC statement said Canada had apologised over the incident and are investigating.
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the NZOC said.
“At this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”
It’s not the first time a Canadian team have been accused of using a drone to film an international rivals’ training session.
In 2021 at Toronto, Honduras stopped a training session ahead of their men’s World Cup qualifier against Canada after spotting a drone above the field, according to reports in Honduran media. The teams played to a 1-1 draw. — AP
