The FIBA disciplinary panel suspends three Boomers, ten Gilas players and two coaches and imposes fines and other sanctions on the national federations of Philippines and Australia, following the World Cup qualifier game in Manila on July 2.
On Monday, July 2, a fight broke out during the game between Australian Boomers and Gilas Pilipinas at FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers resulting to 13 players being disqualified, leaving the Philippines with only three players.
FIBA launched a disciplinary proceeding against both teams and referred the matter to its Disciplinary panel, which has now issued two decisions.
Philippines
The game’s governing body FIBA suspends 10 players for a total of 35 games, assistant coach Joseph Uichico gets suspended for three games, and head coach Vincent ‘Chot’ Reyes is suspended for one game and fined.
The heaviest penalties were handed to Calvin Abueva (six games, due to prior offences), and Roger Pogoy and Carl Cruz (both five games).
Philippines’ national federation, Samahang basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) were issued a $ AUD 3337,000 and ordered to play one game behind closed doors and be on probation for the next three years.
Australia
FIBA suspends three players – Chris Goulding, Thon Maker, and Daniel Kickert for their unsportsmanlike behaviour. Kickert copped the heaviest sanction for his stray elbow, got suspended for five games and will be banned until next February.
Basketball Australia (BA) must also pay a disciplinary fine of AUD $ 135,000 for the unsportmanlike behaviour of its players and for removing floor stickers on the eve of the game.
Following a thorough evaluation by the group of experts officiating the game, the FIBA secretary general has also decided that the referees of the game be removed from the FIBA Elite Program.
Basketball Australia ‘unlikely’ to appeal
BA has 14 days to decide whether to appeal the sanctions however chief executive Anthony Moore said that was unlikely to happen.
"It's unlikely we will do that although it's something that will be a conversation with the Players' Association and the players," Moore said on Thursday.
"Thon is in transit so we will be talking to his agent in the US so it's something we will address in the coming 24 hours.
"We have a scheduled BA board meeting tomorrow so it's something that we will talk through."
SBP accepts the decision, appeal still possible
SBP President Al Panlilio said in a press conference in the Philippines that they accept the game’s governing body decision but it is possible that they may appeal the sanctions.
“We did have our position paper submitted to them last July 13, and we just want to make sure they considered those points, and we’re on the same page,” he said. “From there, we’ll assess whether we’ll proceed on the formal appeal,” Mr Panlilio told ABS-CBN News.
The SBP has 14 days to file an appeal to FIBA.
Additional reporting from AAP-SBS
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