Connect with us

Sports

Chot Reyes denies giving Gilas players intructions to hurt Aussie rivals

Published

on

FILE: "In my 20 years as Head Coach in the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and 7 years at the helm of Gilas, I have never been involved in any such incident," he said.(Photo By Leo Hidalgo - Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

“In my 20 years as Head Coach in the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and 7 years at the helm of Gilas, I have never been involved in any such incident,” he said (File photo) (Photo By Leo Hidalgo – Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

While he respects the ruling of Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball (FIBA) on the full-blown fracas that sparked between Gilas Pilipinas and Australia Boomers during its World Cup Qualifiers, the head coach of the Philippine team stood firm on his stand that he never ordered any of his players to hurt their opponents.

The FIBA Disciplinary Panel on Thursday, July 19, handed down its decision which slapped Reyes with a one-game suspension and a disciplinary fine of 10,000 Swiss francs.

[READ: It’s out: FIBA suspends 10 Gilas players, 2 coaches for PH-Australia brawl]

Reacting to the sanctions meted upon him, Reyes said he stands with the country’s basketball governing body, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), in “respecting FIBA’s findings,” but he insisted that he did not give “instructions to hurt nor incite unsportsmanlike behavior.”

The head coach earlier was in hot waters after he was caught in a video telling Gilas players to “hit somebody, put someone on his ass.” However, Reyes, in his previous interview with ESPN, said that people might have taken his words out of context, stressing that what he said was only part of coaching term.

“In my 20 years as Head Coach in the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and 7 years at the helm of Gilas, I have never been involved in any such incident,” he said.

Nevertheless, Reyes again expressed regret and apologies for the melee that happened last July 2 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

“As we work to put all this behind us, we reiterate our commitment to serve our flag. Laban. Pilipinas. Puso!” the 54-year-old coach said.

Aside from Reyes, 10 Gilas players — Japeth Aguilar, Matthew Wright, Terence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Andray Blatche, Jeth Rosario, Roger Pogoy, Carl Cruz, Jio Jalalon, and Calvin Abueva — were also suspended by FIBA along with the Gilas assistant coach Joseph Uichico.

The SBP will also pay a disciplinary fine of 250,000 Swiss francs for “the unsportsmanlike behavior of its delegation members and of its public, as well as for insufficient organization of the game.”

For its part, the SBP said they are in the process of reviewing FIBA’s decision and will later on decide if an appeal will be made.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle1 month ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Why Eating Healthy Matters

We are what we eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake — we should take these words to...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Maria Goes To Lapu Lapu Day Block Party!

On April 27, 2024, the Filipino community of Vancouver had its first Pinoy multi-Block Party in the most diverse neighbourhood,...