MADRID — Organizers of the badminton world championships in Indonesia apologized Sunday for playing a Franco-era anthem for Spain’s Carolina Marin after she defended her women’s single title, saying it was an “unfortunate mistake.”



The 22-year-old smiled as organizers played the old version of the Spanish anthem that includes lyrics by poet Jose Maria Peman during the podium ceremony in Jakarta, images broadcast on Spanish TV showed. “An older version of the anthem was played during the Women’s Singles medal ceremony following Marin’s retention of the title which she won a year ago,” the Badminton World Federation said in a statement. “The Badminton World Federation and the hosts, the Indonesia Badminton Association, sincerely regret this unfortunate mistake.”



During Franco’s 1939-75 regime schoolchildren learned a version of the anthem with lyrics by Peman but the words were never officially approved and they quickly fell out of favor once the dictator died. — AFP