Bans dished out over basketbrawl

INSULT was added to injury when FIBA, basketball’s world governing body, handed down limp penalties for this month’s all-in brawl between Australia and the Philippines.

Thirteen players, 10 Filipino and three Australians, were handed bans while the head coach and assistant coach of the Philippines were also suspended for their role in the fight that broke out during the third quarter of the World Cup qualifier near Manila on July 2.

FIBA fined both Basketball Australia ($135,000) and the Philippines basketball federation ($337,679). The Philippines will play their next home game behind closed doors. They have a three-year suspended sentence of another two home games.

The referees from the match were suspended from top-level games for a year.

Boomers forward Daniel Kickert was outed for five international matches for inciting unsportsmanlike behaviour and unsportsmanlike behaviour for his elbow on Roger Pogoy.

Thon Maker copped a three-game ban for unsportsmanlike behaviour while Chris Goulding – who was set upon by a group of Filipino players and coaches who punched, kicked and hit him with chairs – received a one-match ban.