Before he left the Philippines, naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche made sure to relay what he felt about the fight that transpired on Monday evening during Gilas Pilipinas’ game against Australia.
“Can’t stop thinking about last night’s game. The way we reacted was only to protect our brother – that’s how we are as a team and family,” Blatche’s statement read.
“I saw one of my brothers hit and wrong decisions were made in the heat of the moment.”
With less than four minutes left in the game, Blatche’s teammate Roger Pogoy was decked by Australia’s Daniel Kickert.
This triggered a fistfight among the members of the two squads.
Blatche was the first to respond to Pogoy as he tried to shove Kickert away before throwing a punch.
It took almost a full two minutes before the fight was broken. Another 40 minutes were needed to slap the penalties.
The 31-year-old hopes that the fight does not change the image of the scrappy Gilas team and its players. Moreover, he deeply regrets that he had a hand in the melee.
“It was a very high intensity game with a lot of emotions. That fight and all our actions are not what me and my brothers stand for. Anyone who knows us know that we are a happy, goofy group of guys,” he shared.
“Things just made a bad turn and I want to apologize to my teammates and the Australian team for my wrong-doings. I have a son and that’s not what I want him to follow.”
