(Eagle News) — Senator Sonny Angara on Tuesday, July 3, stood by the Gilas Pilipinas team following its brawl with Australian players in a World Cup qualifier on Monday, July 2.
“It was unfortunate that things got out of hand,” the senator, the chairman of the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, said.
He added, however, that “in the heat of the moment, the players on both sides had to stand up for each other. It is not only a universal human reaction in a team sport, but for those who have played the game, looking after each other is part of the brotherhood among team members.”
He said the brawl “could have been prevented if the referees had tightened officiating to better control the game.”
“But let me make this crystal clear: sanctions must be meted out, apologies extended as true sportsmen would, nonplayers who joined the melee should be punished, and above all, lessons learned so that this should not happen again,” he said.
“We would like to reassure the world that is an isolated event and Filipinos remain the most hospitable race , in and out of the court, as millions of visitors who visit us annually would attest,” he added. Meanne Corvera