The New Zealand Olympic Committee has lodged a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after a Canadian drone was spotted flying over the practice of the country's women's soccer team earlier this week.
Reigning Olympic champions Canada and New Zealand face each other on Thursday in Saint-Etienne in their opening match of the Olympic women's soccer tournament.
"The incident was reported to police, which led to the arrest of the drone pilot, who was identified as a member of staff of the Canadian women's soccer team," the New Zealand committee said in a statement. The Canadian Olympic Committee acknowledged what happened and apologized, saying it was "shocked and disappointed."
Responsible for the incident is an unaccredited assistant of the Canadian delegation, who on his own decided to find out the tactical intricacies of the game of the New Zealand women before the meeting between the two teams. The Canadian citizen was detained by the French police in connection with the incident.
This is not the first time a Canadian soccer team has been embroiled in such controversy. In Toronto 2021, Honduras halted training ahead of a men's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Canada after a drone flew overhead. | BGNES
