Dubai International Tournament - 16th Edition 2005 - Al Ahli Stadium

Starters: Elie Mechantaf - Bassem Balaa - Kenny Satterfield - Sabah Khoury - Samir Gouda
Substitutes:  Charles Bardawil - George Chibani - Paul Khoury - Jon Ferris - Joe Ghattas
                   Marwan Hajj - Joe Mansour

The shame and the masquerade

An Emirati referee for an Emirati team, 48 fouls whistled against us, 6 players among whom the team key players fouled out, brutality and battering from the Emirati team and their police on the court and inside the locker rooms: an impressive CV and report for a basketball game that had nothing to do with basketball except for the name!

Sagesse administration objected before the game start about nominating an Emirati referee for a game involving an Emirati team. The tournament officials calmed them down and assured them that it would be an easy and light game and everything will be under control, asking them to play the game with the nominated referees.

And so the game went on and light it was in the beginning, with Sagesse creating a 10 points gap and leading in the 1st quarter. Realizing getting the upper hand, coach Taylor started trying different rotations and systems, while the players made the typical and unforgivable mistake to take the game lightly
All of this allowed the UAE team to come back and when they tied the score, the Emirati referee took over and the show began.

It was impossible to play without getting fouls whistled, and at halftime the UAE were leading. We were already in foul trouble as early as the beginning of the 2nd quarter. The administration and technical staff talked with the officials during the halftime asking for a fair refereeing or the game will become hazardous.
But nothing changed and it was proven that the game had become bigger than the referees who couldn't handle it anymore neither control its course and the tension between the players.
Their whistles became even more unfair and out of context until the big clash exploded about 2 minutes before the game ended after a contact between Joe Mansour and an Emirati players. The UAE bench invaded the court towards Mansour and so did Sagesse's and the fight began.
The police intervened, but instead of separating the opponents and calming the animosity, they just made the screen -to stay in the spirit of the game- for the UAE team so they were fighting our players from behind the policemen.

At that moment Sagesse withdrew to the lockers for half an hour, during which the police were brutalizing them inside the lockers instead of staying impartial and above the incident.
The game was stopped for more than 30 minutes while Sagesse were considering the withdrawing option. But our administration finally decided to resume the play for 3 major reasons:
1- With respect to the fans who attended the game and were still sitting and waiting for their team.
2- With respect to our sponsor.
3- With respect to a decision taken when they took charge of the Club that Sagesse different teams would never withdraw from any game under any circumstance.


And so the game resumed after half an hour and after receiving other promises from the officials about refereeing. But twice the clock wasn't stopped after we scored baskets and the UAE team was protesting. Instead of getting the 6 lost seconds, we even agreed to give them 9! And in spite of all this, we came back and we were leading again until 5 seconds before the final whistle when Sabah Khoury was fouled. He scored his 1st free throw attempt and naturally our bench was celebrating the victory and cheering, standing up. That's when the UAE assistant coach approached the Emirati referee and told him to give our bench a technical foul for our celebrating behavior, which he instantly did! And so they got 2 providential shots out of nowhere and the ball possession. They tied the score 85-85 and kept the ball until the final whistle.

Under such condition, with Satterfield, Gouda, Mechantaf, Paul Khoury, Ferris and Bardawil fouled out, with our remaining floating bench playing against the UAE team, the referee and the police, the game was sealed and ended with UAE "deserved and respected" victory 98-91.

It might have been a basketball game on the sheets and records, but on the court, it was nothing but a shame and a mockery to which our team answered with the best ethical and responsible behavior that could have been applied under such circumstances. We didn't withdraw, and hats off to our players and officials for what they went through and how they reacted.