Kuwait apologies to Kazakhstan over anthem

Organisers of a sporting championship in Kuwait have publicly apologised to Kazakhstan after music taken from a satirical film was accidentally played instead of the country's national anthem at a medal-giving ceremony. While collecting a medal at a shooting championship held in the Gulf state this weekend, Kazakh competitor Maria Dmitrienko was serenaded by the theme music from the comedic movie Borat. Organisers said the mistake was quickly rectified and the real national anthem of Kazakhstan played as shooting team members collected their awards. The spoof song, produced by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen specifically for the 2006 film, portrays Kazakhs as uneducated. The film, which caused uproar in Kazakhstan and was eventually banned in the country, follows the character journalist Borat Sagdiyev as he travels to America. According to media reports, the shooting team asked for an apology from Kuwait authorities after the song was played. The team's coach told local media that organisers had downloaded the wrong song from the internet by mistake. In their statement, organisers expressed deep sorrow at having played the song.