Australia won by default 89-53. / AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE
(Eagle News) — Basketball’s governing body FIBA has launched a probe following the chaos at the World Cup qualifying match on Monday involving the Philippine team, Gilas Pilipinas, and the Australian team, Boomers at an international match at the Philippine Arena, in Bulacan, just outside the Philippine capital of Manila.
Players exchanged flying kicks and punches at the international match where a total of 13 players had been ejected after the melee. A television footage even showed a fan punching one of the Australian players and another fan throwing a chair at a visiting player.
After the incident FIBA tweeted it was opening disciplinary proceedings against both teams, adding “The decision(s) will be communicated in the coming days”.
Malacanang said on Tuesday that it was something that “should never have happened” and described the incident as “unfortunate.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that it was the “worst” basketball brawl he had witnessed here in the country.
“We found the whole incident unfortunate. It was, of course, the height of being unsportsmanlike,” Roque said in a press briefing.
“We appreciate that it’s something that we have to be sorry about because it should never have happened.”
Roque said that Filipino players should honor whatever will be the FIBA’s decision and sanctions on the matter.
Fighting spilled off the court as the game at the Philippine Arena outside Manila descended into farce on Monday, with officials powerless to restore order.
Footage of the melee even showed a chair being thrown in the area behind the baseline.
Australia won by default 89-53. / AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE
-Bruised and battered”-
The Australian team said its team members were “bruised and battered” and that the players and the coaches feared for their safety, while the Philippine team’s coach Chot Reyes said that what happened was unfortunate and unacceptable even as he defended the actions of his players.
Reyes claimed that there were incidents of provocation done by members of the Australian team even during the warm-up.
The Australian team, on the other hand, apologized for their role in the incident.
“Basketball Australia deeply regrets the incident in tonight’s match between the Boomers and the Philippines in Manila.
“We are extremely disappointed with what happened and our role in it.”
He added: “This is not the spirit in which sport should be played and certainly not in the spirit in which we aim to play basketball.
“We apologize to our fans and will await the penalties to be handed down.”
Moore said the Aussies “accept our responsibility for our role in last night’s incident” and were waiting for the sport’s governing body’s findings and sanctions.
“What we don’t accept is the action whereby fans and officials actually get involved in the fray,” he said.
The Australian team had sought government help to escape the court after the mass brawl with the Philippine side.
“We had our players and team management and our coaches in fear of their physical safety,” Basketball Australia chief executive Anthony Moore told a news conference.
“Are we going to be able to get out of here unscathed?”
The fracas kicked off after a Philippine player appeared to catch an opponent with an elbow in the game at the Philippine Arena outside Manila.
Moore said the visitors kept their players and coaches courtside after the game and sought help from the Australian embassy to get the team safely out to their bus and their hotel.
“Physically our players are fine, they’re, you know, bruised and battered,” Moore said.
“Our athletes and coaches actually stayed on the court for a considerable amount of time, (it was) the safest place for our players and our coaches,” he said, adding the team are flying out of Manila later Tuesday.
Officials for the Philippine basketball federation did not immediately return telephone calls and email by AFP seeking comment.
Thon Maker, one two NBA players on the Australian side, tweeted Tuesday he was “deeply disappointed in the actions displayed” and was taking responsibility for his own actions.
“My hope is that this experience provides a springboard for discussion regarding the security surrounding these games,” said the South Sudan-born Milwaukee Bucks centre, who was ejected from the match.
The Filipino players were later roundly roasted in social media after several members were photographed taking a group selfie apparently after the fight.
“Class,” NBA veteran Andrew Bogut, who has played previously for the Australian national team, wrote while re-tweeting a news account of the Filipino selfie.
(with Agence France Presse)