MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, July 3, found it "unfortunate" that the basketball match between Gilas Pilipinas and Australia's Boomers during the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers turned into a wild brawl.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. described it as an "unsportsmanlike" conduct for both teams to end up fighting in the middle of the intense game.
He said the fight that broke out during the FIBA event held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan was "a truly regretful incident."
"We found the whole incident unfortunate. It was of course the height of being unsportsmanlike," Roque said in a press conference.
"It should never have happened, that’s why it’s called sports," the Palace official added.
The tension between Gilas Pilipinas and Boomers erupted when Filipino player Roger Pogoy committed a hard offensive foul on Australia's Chris Goulding. Australian player Daniel Kickert, in turn, came in and leveled Pogoy with an elbow of his own, prompting a full-on brawl.
Roque showed empathy towards Gilas Pilipinas, but stressed that their act remained unjustifiable.
"It’s something to be sorry about, because it should not have happened. But all we’re saying is that we empathize somehow with the feelings of our fellow Filipinos, which is not to justify their conduct," he said.
"What should have happened was as soon as Mr Kickert did that foul elbow, then the game should have stopped, and there should have been a decision declaring him to have committed a foul up and there should have been a foul shot instead, but it continued, I do not know why it was allowed to continue," he added.
Following the incident, Roque said members of Gilas Pilipinas should accept the possible sanctions that would be imposed by FIBA.
"In any case I’m sure FIBA will mete out the sanctions. I hope our players as true sportsmen will honor whatever the decision of FIBA will be, graciously," he said. (SunStar Philippines)