Japeth Aguilar was one of the 13 players who were ejected from the all-out melee that transpired between Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian Boomers.
And the Gilas standout regrets being involved in such a violent moment.
“The incident last night could have been dealt with differently but emotions were running high,” Aguilar said in a statement.
A day prior to the titanic clash, the Filipinos were already irritated that the Australians had ripped off FIBA-approved decals from the floor of the Philippine Arena.
The day itself, Matthew Wright alleged that Australian Daniel Kickert was already trying to impose his will on the team even during the warm-ups.
Then came the hit that triggered the brawl.
Roger Pogoy was clocked by Kickert, which drew the ire of the Gilas players both on the floor and on the bench.
“In the heat of the moment, we just wanted to defend our brother,” Aguilar recalled.
After a day, Aguilar shared that their emotions had gotten the best of them instead of logic, and it left them with 3 players versus 5 to close out the contest.
“I admit that we acted on emotion rather than logic and this is regrettable because the situation could have been pacified and could have ended differently,” he furthered.
“There is no excuse for how we responded.”
Aguilar then closed his statement by extending his deepest apologies to the fans, the Australians, and FIBA.
“As national team athletes, we are representing more than just ourselves as we wear our uniforms. How we acted last night is not just a representation of the Filipino people,” he admitted.
“For this, I’d like to apologize to my fellow Filipinos, to the Australian team, to their supporters and to basketball fans everywhere. Hopefully, we can move forward with humility, compassion, and respect for one another.”
