(Eagle News) — The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Tuesday, July 3, apologized over the Philippines-Australia brawl in a World Cup qualifier on Monday, July 2, saying it would review the incident.
“SBP stands by its conviction that violence has no place in sports,” the SBP said in a statement.
According to the SBP, “as the national team representing flag and country, we likewise extend our apologies to the Filipino people.”
“We regret having breached the bounds of traditional Filipino hospitality,” it added.
Earlier, Gilas coach Chot Reyes defended his team, saying an Australian player, Daniel Kickert, had “hit” several of his players–Matthew Wright, Carl Bryan Cruz, Calvin Abueva and RR Pogoy–during warm-ups.
He said he told his players to just focus on the game.
“So, when he did that, the foul of Pogoy on Goulding was called a foul; offensive foul, it was a basketball play. But, he was the one who came in, then (Kickert) decked Pogoy, for the fifth time. You can’t expect to do that to a team for five times, and not expect to be, to retaliate,” Reyes said.