CHANGSHA, China – Kuwait coach Yousef Khaled said the referees' failed to control the game led to the endgame commotion that marred Gilas Pilipinas’ 110-64 rout on Friday night in the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship.
Khaled said the referees were obviously not doing their job of putting order in a game that became a little bit rough in the second half, which was marred by a physical encounter between Gilas’ Ranidel de Ocampo and Abdulaziz Alhamidi.
“First problem are the referees, with all the fighting and talking,” said the Kuwait coach during the post-game interview.
Likewise, he singled out De Ocampo for hitting Alhamidi ‘without saying anything.’
“Last 48 seconds and player no. 33 hit my player without saying anything, he's bloodied,” Khaled said of his injured starter. “It’s a very high scoring (game), so why did you hit the player?”
De Ocampo, who wasn’t caught by the referees when he struck the Kuwaiti, explained his action was in retaliation to what Khaled had been doing against his Gilas teammates.
Alhamidi was left fuming after the incident that he angrily confronted one game official while the game was going on, leading to his ejection.
He even had to be led to the dugout as he refused to be pacified by his teammates.
[See De Ocampo says Kuwaiti player trying to hurt Gilas teammates from the start]
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