The Asian Basketball Championships may only have tipped off on Thursday but already it has been engulfed in controversy after referees were forced to halt the match between Qatar and Uzbekistan, when four of the five Qatari players purposely fouled out in protest of a FIBA ruling.
The four players committed five personal fouls each within the first six minutes of the match, prompting referees to disqualify them and hand Uzbekistan a 27-12 win as rules state teams must field at least two players.
Qatari coach Ali Fakhroo said the fouls were committed in protest of an International Basketball Federation (FIBA) ruling making five of the team’s 11 players ineligible for the championships due to their dual nationality, Xinhua news agency said.
Fakhroo said his team would protest in the same way during their match against Iran on Friday.
