Cebuano Roger Pogoy apologizes for part in Gilas Pilipinas-Australia ‘basketbrawl’
Cebuano basketball player Roger Pogoy has issued a public apology for his actions that played a part in the controversial brawl between the Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian Boomers in the Fiba World Cup 2019 Qualifier last Monday at the Philippine Arena.
“Unang una hihingi kami ng sorry sa lahat ng fans ng Gilas saka fans din ng Australia na may nangyari kagabi na di inaasahan,” said Pogoy in a Chooks-to-Go-hosted dinner for the National Team at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas, last Tuesday. (First of all, we would like to say sorry to the fans of Gilas and Australia for the untoward incident that happened last night.)
“This experience has taught me a lesson. I admit my mistakes and I’ll take full responsibility for my actions,” he also said in posts on his social media accounts.
Things came to a boiling point in that heated match when Pogoy committed an offensive foul on Australian wingman Chris Goulding late in the third period. Boomers big man Daniel Kickert retaliated with a vicious elbow to the face of Pogoy that broke the dam and unleashed chaos between the two opposing teams.
In the end, a total of 13 players from both teams got ejected as Australia went on to win, 89-53.
Gilas backer Ronald Mascariñas, who is the president and general manager of Chooks-to-Go, urged each member of the team to be accountable for their actions during the said melee.
“All of us go through things like this in our lives. Most of the time we make the right decisions but we also make the wrong decisions,” Mascariñas said during the Chooks-to-Go team dinner. “But at the end of the day, we make the decision ourselves. The best way to move on is to be accountable. Let’s not blame it on others but be accountable to ourselves.”
Fellow Cebuano June Mar Fajardo, who didn’t take part in the scuffle and, in fact, was one of three Gilas players left after the ejections, also apologized.
“Sorry sa nangyari. Hindi natin ineexpect na mangyayari yun,” he said. (I’m sorry for what happened. We didn’t expect that to happen.)