Georgian Basketball Federation condemns “provocative actions” by Türkiye coach following EuroBasket match controversy
The Georgian Basketball Federation has issued a condemnation of “provocative actions” by Ergin Ataman, the head coach of the national team of Türkiye, after their EuroBasket game against Georgia on Sunday, as the match has also been followed by a controversy sparked by a technical timekeeping error. Photo: Georgian Basketball Federation.
Tweet 
Share
The Georgian Basketball Federation has issued a condemnation of “provocative actions” by Ergin Ataman, the head coach of the national team of Türkiye, after their EuroBasket game against Georgia on Sunday, as the match has also been followed by a controversy sparked by a technical timekeeping error.
Following the Group A game - which ended in favour of Georgia - the Turkish basketball team announced their player Furkan Korkmaz had been attacked by Georgian players Tornike Shengelia, Goga Bitadze and Duda Sanadze in the dressing room.
The GBF said actions of Ergin Ataman, the head coach of the Turkish squad, who got involved in the events, had been “aimed at escalating the situation”.
His unethical behaviour and continuous insulting statements made to press and at the press briefings [following the match] had an impact on the Turkish national team players, a clear example of which was the physical aggression from Furkan Korkmaz’s side towards the players of Georgian national team,” the statement said.
The Georgian Basketball Federation's comment on the incident. For English scroll down.
The Federation also noted threatening messages had been sent by supporters of the Turkish national team to Georgian players “several times”.
In its statement, the GBF also mentioned it had demanded an “appropriate response” from the International Basketball Association to alleged actions of Ataman and the Vice President of the Turkish Basketball Federation, Omer Onan.
The statement by the Vice President of the Turkish Federation, Omer Onan, about the assault on their player by the police and the players of the Georgian national team is surprising, slanderous and beyond all limits”, the GBF said.
“The Georgian Basketball Federation will take all necessary actions over Omen Onan's wrong and offensive statement as soon as possible, and hopes [he] is not voicing the view of the friendly [Turkish] Federation towards us and our state structures, and that [his views] are only his personal interpretation, not supported by any evidence. For this, we demand an immediate, special investigation to establish the truth”, the GBF said.
Georgian national basketball team captain Tornike Shengelia also responded to the incident, saying members of opposing teams “should not be pushed into the dressing room” to continue on-pitch rivalry with confrontations.
The best moments of the game. Video: the Georgian Basketball Federation.
When we [members of the Georgian team] were going to the dressing room, there were constant shouts and various gestures to further annoy us. A different picture was presented by the Turkish media, which fuelled aggression among Turkish fans, and they attacked our families on social networks with insulting and threatening messages,” Shengelia said on Monday.
Aside from the allegations of assault, the Turkish Basketball Federation has submitted a protest regarding a timekeeping operations error in the match, in which the clock had run for 22 seconds while the game had been stopped.
After reviewing all material and evidence submitted over the matter, a FIBA EuroBasket Disciplinary Panel judge ruled that while a “timekeeping operations error” had indeed occured during the fourth quarter of the game, the Turkish Federation had failed to “establish in their protest, as per the Official Basketball Rules, that had it not been for the timekeeping operations error, a different result would have certainly materialised” The protest was subsequently dismissed.
The FIBA also responded to the allegations from both federations in relation to events in the team areas of the venue, noting an investigation was ongoing and relevant FIBA bodies would decide on any applicable disciplinary measures.