I have read with great interest your contribution in the Commentary Box two weeks ago. First of all as a basketball player and a sportsman myself, I deplore any form of violence and condemn any such acts in the same manner you do. On this we both agree and I think everyone reading the sports pages does too.

I must, however, point out that most of your declarations (not opinions) are quite unfounded and you have fallen into the trap of jumping to conclusions without verifying the actual facts. This is quite the opposite of what I would expect from a journalist let alone from an editor. Let me be more precise and point out to you facts which are quite different from what you wrote, but yet they are the facts.

You wrote that a Qormi player attacked the referee after it was alleged that the same referee had thrown the ball at him. You continued by writing that “In all probability, there was no provocation.” If prior to coming to this conclusion you sought some true facts and also collaborated with your colleague journalist Willie Vassallo of PBS, you would have not been so mistaken.

Vassallo might have given you the opportunity to witness the incident filmed on tape. I have, and it is a shameful act by the referee.

However, I find it as shameful the fact that journalists turned a blind eye to this fact or decided to inform their readers that this provocation never existed. In my opinion, you owe an apology to the player involved and to the Qormi Basketball club since with your wrong conclusions, you placed all the bad light on them.

At this stage I must confirm again that I, along with the Qormi Basketball club, deplore any violence irrespective if provoked or not, even if provocation in itself is a form of violence. I also agree with you that referees are there to help the game and make sure that rules are adhered to. In basketball this is the norm with most referees but unfortunately in this case, the referee chose to act the way he did. This is wrong and to date no one, except Qormi Basketball club, have condemned this action. It is pitiful of our country and breeds from a culture of lack of accountability. This referee is bound to do the same someday in the future and we have no one to blame but the association’s officials who decided, along with most journalists, to turn a blind eye on his unsporting actions.

I have been a basketball player for the past 15 years and intend to keep on playing till God permits me to do so. You mentioned that most referees need our respect. I agree, but in my opinion I believe that respect is earned and I have a lot of respect for most of the referees on our island because their intentions are good. Others fail to attract my respect not because of their lack of knowledge or experience but for the arrogance and provocation they portray on court.

I call for the association to monitor these referees not necessarily to punish but rather to guide them in performing their part as adequately as possible for the benefit of the game we love so much.

I hope this contribution is received as a constructive contribution and I wish you and all the sports journalists all the success.

Mark Sultana

vice-captain

Qormi Basketball Club

Editor’s Note:

I do not think it is fair for Mr Sultana to say that I did not verify the facts especially when no one challenged at least one report which also mentioned the incident to which he is referring and which was published in our sister newspaper a few days earlier.

As to my article of two Sundays ago, when I commented about provocation, I must point out that I was not commenting on the basketball incidents only. It was a general comment about all the incidents that happened during those few days, including those registered in football. And I still maintain that it is because of those few who still cannot accept defeat that such incidents occur in sport.

Back to the basketball incidents, I think everything might have been blown out of proportion. In fact, I can never imagine a referee – in any sports discipline – acting the way Mr Sultana is saying above (it is not a sporting decision on court we are writing about now). Yet, if he is judged to have done so, it is the MBA which has the authority to take the necessary action. In so far as I know, only Qormi BC are saying that the referee acted in the wrong manner. Please correct me if I am wrong.

In any case, I reiterate that such incidents can never be justified, even if there is any sort of provocation. And I was really pleased that Qormi Basketball Club also deplored the incidents officially. A club and a player must know that retaliation can never be the means for justification. And they also should know that in any sports discipline, it is the one who retaliates that normally end being punished.

As a matter of fact, it is only pertinent to note that Qormi had one player, Wayne Grixti, suspended for one year, two others, Nello Xuereb and Trevor Grech were suspended five matches, while Duncan Cilia and George Grixti received a four-match ban. Moreover, Xuereb was fined Lm20 and given another one-game suspension which is suspended for six months.

Henry Brincat

Sports Editor