AusLeisure

Basketball Australia has been fined $135,000 and three Boomers stars have been suspended for their role in the ‘basketbrawl’ at the end of the FIBA World Cup qualifying game against the Philippines earlier this month.

Basketball’s international governing body, FIBA suspended Daniel Kickert for five games, Thon Maker (three), Chris Goulding (one) following the abandoned game.

FIBA’s disciplinary panel sanctioned 13 players and two coaches from both teams were sanctioned by basketball's governing body FIBA following the incident in the Asian qualifying fixture in Bulacan in the Philippines on 2nd July.

Basketball Australia’s disciplinary fine was for the unsportsmanlike behaviour of its players and "for abusing and/or tampering of equipment, after having removed floor stickers from the court on the eve of the game".

10 members of the Philippines squad were suspended for a total of 34 games for unsportsmanlike behaviour, with Roger Pogoy, whose elbowing of Goulding helped spark the brawl, given a five-game ban, which also related to inciting unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Pogoy's teammate Calvin Abueva received a six-game suspension that also related to previous misconduct in a FIBA competition.

FIBA also announced the Philippines squad "will play the next home game behind closed doors while a ban for two more home games has been placed under a probationary period" of three years.

The referees who officiated the game were also suspended by FIBA for 12 months.

Kickert has already announced he has accepted his suspension while Basketball Australia Chief Executive Anthony Moore said his organisation was "unlikely" to challenge the sanctions – although it will discuss the possibility of an appeal at a board meeting today.

Moore said the BA board would discuss whether any further action would be taken against the Boomers, noting the incident was a "black spot" on the game in Australia.

He told the ABC "Basketball Australia has its own code of conduct, we've already established our own terms of reference through Simon Bishop, our head of integrity.

"That's a process that our board will tick off tomorrow and we've started that investigation."

Moore said he welcomed FIBA's finding that no discriminatory or racist language was used by Australian Boomers players, as had been alleged, adding “there were no derogatory, discriminatory or racist comments from the Australian players.

"We're quite pleased we can dismiss those allegations that were made."

Update: 5pm, 20th July 2018
Following Basketball Australia’s Board meetingtoday to consider the sanctions imposed by the FIBA Disciplinary Panel against the Australian Boomers and the national federation, Moore released a statement that advised “given the seriousness of this matter, Basketball Australia is giving careful consideration about the appeal process for these sanctions. While we indicated yesterday that it was unlikely that we would appeal, the Basketball Australia Board discussion today considered a range of options on this matter. We will receive further advice before making a determination on whether to proceed.” 

Under FIBA rules Basketball Australia has 14 days to appeal. 

13th July 2018 - BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA NAMES CHEMIST WAREHOUSE AS MAIN SPONSOR FOR WOMEN’S GAME

7th July 2018 - AUSTRALIAN AND PHILIPPINES OFFICIALS ISSUE JOINT APOLOGY BASKETBALL BRAWL

3rd July 2018 - PLAY ABANDONED AFTER BRAWL AT BOOMERS AND PHILIPPINES BASKETBALL MATCH

4th August 2017 - PEAK SPORT TO EQUIP BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA THROUGH TO 2020

8th August 2016 - TBT BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT HEADS TO CHINA

24th May 2016 - NBL LOOKS TO DEVELOP CHINA-BASED FRANCHISE

23rd October 2015 - NBL LOOKS TO EXPAND AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL IN ASIA

25th July 2015 - LARRY KESTELMAN AIMS TO LEAD NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE REJUVENATION

18th August 2014 - ANTHONY MOORE NAMED NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.