Australia angry over tanking claim
Australian basketball authorities have angrily denied c laims the nat iona l team deliberately lost a group match at the World Cup, calling the al legations “insulting” and “downright wrong”.
Basketbal l’s rul ing body FIBA on Monday launched an investigation into Australia’s 9183 defeat to Angola in Spain over suspicions they wanted to lose to avoid playing the United States.
“It is widely suspected that Australia lost that game in order to avoid having to face the reigning world champions USA until the semi-finals,” FIBA said, in a statement which was slammed by Basketball Australia.
The Australian body said late Tuesday: “Basketball Australia c ategor ic a l ly rej e c t s any suggestion that the Australian Boomers were a party to contriving the result of the 2014 FIBA World Cup game between Australia and Angola.
“The Australian Boomers went into the game against Angola to win – plain and simple.
“Claims to the contrary are widely speculative, insulting to the Australian sporting culture and to our playing group who gave their very best throughout this tournament. They’re downright wrong.”
Australia did not field two of their top players, Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes, for the game in Gran Canaria last Thursday, but Basketball Australia said this was so they could rest and was supported by medical advice.
“The health and wellbeing of our players is paramount. The World Cup group stage schedule of five games in six days is, put simply, gruelling,” it said. — AFP