Daniel Kickert on PH Arena brawl: ‘It is a regrettable situation’

In a video posted on ESPN 5 on Wednesday, July 4, Kickert said, “I think I overstepped a little bit with my response to the escalation in the game.” (Photo: Daniel Kickert/Twitter)

Australian Boomers’ Daniel Kickert expressed his regret on being caught up in the brawl that sparked between his team and Gilas Pilipinas during the Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball (FIBA) World Cup Qualifiers at the Philippine Arena on Monday night.

In a video posted on ESPN 5 on Wednesday, July 4, Kickert said, “I think I overstepped a little bit with my response to the escalation in the game.”

“I regret those things,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes earlier blamed Kickert for triggering the fracas, claiming that the latter had been ‘hitting’ some players of the Philippine team — including Carl Bryan Cruz, Matthew Wright, Roger Pogoy, and Calvin Abueva — during warm-ups.

Kickert said that he was put in a position where he obviously made an action that is “regrettable and unfortunate.”

“It’s not good to put a stain on anything as a good trip for the boys and would have been a good win. I think [it] ended poorly with a controversial issue obviously,” he stressed.

Kickert, however, did not give any comment on the actions done by the Philippine team, saying that he would just leave everything up to FIBA.

“I’m gonna let FIBA do everything that they need to do to take the time, go through the process and come to the answers that they see fit and bring down the sanctions that they bring down.”

“I’m gonna step back and let FIBA do what they wanna do.”

Basketball Australia and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) earlier issued their respective apologies for the incident.

Basketball Australia chief executive Anthony Moore, in a statement, said that they deeply regret their role in the bench-clearing brawl.

“This is not the spirit in which sport should be played and certainly not in the spirit in which we aim to play basketball,” Moore said.

As hosts of the game, SBP president Al Panlilio likewise said they regret “having breached the bounds of traditional Filipino hospitality.”

Both parties will wait for the official FIBA ruling following its disciplinary proceedings on the incident.

The Australian Boomers won the game by default, 89-53, as there was only one player from Gilas, Baser Amer, left to go up against the Boomers.

Pogoy, Cruz, Wright, Abueva, Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, and Andray Blatche were ejected for disqualifying fouls, while June Mar Fajardo and Game Norwood fouled out of the game.