Intro:

South Sudan gains Olympic status and are set to compete at Rio 2016.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant General Wilson Deng Kuoirot, President of the National Olympic Committee of South Sudan:

"Yes, thank you so much. I would say that I'm very delighted and exhilarated for South Sudan being accepted into the International Olympic Committee today. It means a lot. First of all, it's a pride to my country to be accepted in this wonderful organisation. The other one is that being a member of the International Olympic Committee will allow us to send a team to the next Olympics which is going to be in Rio De Janeiro, in 2016."

SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant General Wilson Deng Kuoirot, President of the National Olympic Committee of South Sudan:

"You should not talk about the bridge before crossing it. The first thing today was the recognition. But we suspect as a part of the family, I'm a new-born child and I suspect the IOC, the international organisation, will take care of me. (Laughter)."