When militiamen swept into their villages on horseback in the early 1990s, shooting, burning and raping as they went, tens of thousands of young Sudanese boys were forced to flee for their lives.

They walked for hundreds of miles, many dying on the way of starvation and illness. Others were eaten by lions. But many survived, ending up in refugee camps in the near-desert plains of northern Kenya.

In 2001, nearly 4,000 of the “Lost Boys” were resettled in the United States. On Friday, one of them will have the honour of carrying the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Lopez Lomong, who left his home in the southern Sudan in 1991 as a six-year-old boy, is now a successful middle-distance runner. Chosen by his own team mates for the honour, he says Friday will be “the most exciting day ever in my life“.

Lomong left home and lost contact with his parents at the height of Sudan’s civil war between its mainly Arab north and its largely Christian south. It was a devastating conflict, which left around two million people dead.

That conflict is now over, but the Sudanese government continues to arm tribes to do their dirty work, human rights groups say, spreading death and misery in the western region of Darfur.

China, a major investor in Sudan’s oil industry and supplier of arms, stands accused of not doing enough to press Khartoum to end the crisis in Darfur.

Beijing decided to revoke the visa of Olympic gold medallist Joey Cheek this week, who is now an activist for Darfur. But it seems it cannot silence discussion of its role in Sudan.

Lomong’s story is an inspiring one and perhaps U.S. athletes will say that is why they chose him for the honour of carrying the flag. But it could also be interpreted as a political choice, a statement to the governments of Sudan and China.

What do you think? Was it the right choice? Is it a case of crossing the line between sport and politics? If so, does it matter?

PHOTO: Lopez Lomong celebrates winning the 1500 meters at the Reebok Grand Prix athletics meet in New York May 31, 2008. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

Dirk Nowitzki was picked to carry the German flag into the Olympic Stadium’s Opening Ceremonies on Friday but, in a country where carrying the national flag had long fallen out of favour, the NBA all-star basketball player was given a few unsolicited pointers by German Olympic officials on how to do the job.

“They gave me the tip that it’s not going to be like at Carnival and so I shouldn’t wave the flag around too wildly,” said Nowitzki, who added he was deeply honoured to be the country’s flag-bearer. “But I think I’ll still be able to have some fun with the whole thing.”

Nowitzki, 30, epitomises a younger generation of Germans born decades after World War Two who have embraced patriotism. Unlike their parents’ generation they have no inhibitions about showing their love of the country and even waving a German flag — something that was a very rare sight between the Black Forest and Baltic until only a few years ago.
 
The first surge in German flag-waving came in 2006 at the soccer World Cup when there was suddenly millions of German flags flying.

Nowitzki, like millions of others, even painted little German flags on his cheeks and put one on his car during the Euro 2008 soccer championship. But his little car flag didn’t survive long on the high-speed motorways. “Unfortunately I drive a little fast on the Autobahn,” he said. “It didn’t survive more than a day and I had to take what was left of it off.”

PHOTO: Dirk Nowitzki looks up during a practice session ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 4, 2008. REUTERS/Sergio Perez