SPORTS
SHAME, SHAME
National basketball teams
turn men into brawling kids
COACHES PLAY THE BLAME GAME THROUGH THE MEDIA
THE world basketball qualifier between
the national teams of Australia and the
Philippines in Bulacan on Monday, July 2,
descended into a shamless all-out brawl.
Australian Boomers’ Daniel Kickert
acknowleged that’ he “overstepped” the mark
by elbowing Philippines guard Roger Pogoy
in the face.
Kickert is likely to receive a long
suspension from the global governing body
for his hit on Pogoy, which sparked the ugly
third-quarter brawl.
“I was put in a position where I obviously
made an action which was regrettable
and unfortunate,” Kickert told reporters in
Brisbane.
“I think I’ve overstepped a little bit with
my response to the escalation in the game, I
regret those things.”
But assistance coach Luc Longley blamed
the Philippines coach Chot Reyes for inciting
his entire team to join the fracas, further
saying in a television interview in Brisbane
that the Filipinos were fired up even before
the game.
He described the all-in fight as the worst
16
thing he’d ever seen on a basketball court.
Longley rushed to the aid of Chris
Goulding