Why Ranidel De Ocampo bloodied the lip of ejected Kuwaiti player

Abdulaziz Alhamidi is restrained by his teammates. FIBA.com

 

CHANGSHA, China - An altercation marred the endgame of the first round match between Gilas Pilipinas and Kuwait in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship here on Friday.

 

With 40 seconds left in the clock, Abdulaziz Alhamidi vehemently complained to a referee about his bleeding lip, which was apparently caused by Ranidel de Ocampo. The referees, however, missed the contact and did not call a foul.

 

The Kuwaiti cager was thrown out of the game after grabbing the collar of the referee, but it took a while for play to resume as coach Khaled Yousef made his way to the Gilas bench and talked to De Ocampo and a few other players.

 

The Philippines eventually won by a blowout, 110-64.

 

"Start pa lang ng game 'yung number 12 masyado nang nananakit," De Ocampo told reporters after the game when asked about the incident. "Sinampal niya si Dondon (Hontiveros), binigwasan niya si Jayson (Castro), binalibag niya si Calvin (Abueva), dalawang beses niyang natatamaan si Terrence (Romeo).

 

"Kahit anong mangyari, s'yempre kailangan protektahan ko 'yung mga teammate ko," he added.

 

Hontiveros already exchanged a few words with Alhamidi in the first quarter, but things started to escalate at the end of the third period and reached its breaking point in the last minute of the game.

 

De Ocampo said the Kuwaiti punched him in the genitals, so he decided to get back for his teammates and for himself.

 

"Nung sinuntok niya na ako sa bayag ko, ibang usapan na 'yun," he said. "'Yun, galit na galit. E ngayon siya 'yung duguan."

 

After the game, Andray Blatche gathered his teammates and told them to stick together even at the hotel to avoid another confrontation with the Kuwaitis.

 

"Ganiyan talaga, nasa giyera kami eh. Ganiyan talaga mararanasan namin," De Ocampo said. —JST, GMA News