(Eagle News) — Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer Anthony Moore said on Thursday, July 19, they “acknowledge” the sanctions meted out on some of its players and on Filipino players over the Boomers-Gilas Pilipinas brawl in a World Cup Qualifier on July 2.
“We also welcome FIBA’s finding in its report that no discriminatory or racist language was used by Australian Boomers players, nor did it incite the incident as has been alleged,” Moore said.
According to Moore, although Australia has 14 days to appeal the sanctions, it was “unlikely” they would do so.
Even then, he said the matter would be “considered at a scheduled board meeting of Basketball Australia tomorrow.”
“We now look forward to the next stage of World Cup qualifying in September and the Boomers playing basketball that all Australians can be proud of as we look ahead to next year’s World Cup in China and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,” he said.
In the wake of the brawl, both teams apologized to fans for bringing the game into “disrepute” with the fight, which resulted in 13 player ejections–10 from the Philippine team, and three from the Australian one.
Though the game eventually resumed with just three men on the Philippines team, it was soon abandoned at 89-53 to Australia after two more home players fouled out. With a report from AFP