Basketball-Bristol makes public apology |12 October 2005

Consequently hit with a two-year ban by the National Basketball Technical Committee (NBTC) of the SBF, PLS Hawks’ Bernard Bristol has decided to come out to make a public apology.

“I’m really sorry for what I did. I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. Thus, the need to make a public apology,” Bristol told Sports Nation.

Asked to relate on what happened that day, Bristol said:
“Robert tripped me right in front of referee James Joubert and he apparently did not spot the infringement but instead waved play on. I completely lost my cool and retaliated in a harsh way.

All this happened in the heat of the action. After being ejected from the match, I went out of the venue and realised that what I had done was wrong. But it was too late. I haven’t met Robert since the incident but I’ve talked to his coach, Michel Malbrook. I sincerely regret what happened on that day and I take full responsibility for my action. And I don’t want people to see me as some kind of a bad boy of basketball.”

Speaking of the ban imposed on him, tireless shooting guard Bristol, one of the best defenders in the game here and a member of the country’s national team for the past 10 years, noted that “although I know that I should be punished for what I’ve done, I still believe that a two-year ban is really tough.”

“I’m 28 years old and when my ban will expire I will be 30 years old. Although I’ll continue to train, it will not be of the same intensity as I know that I am not allowed to play. This means that my level of play will drop and if this is the case, it is no use for me to make a comeback.

This is not how I planned to retire from basketball, the game I love. I would love to come back and I wish that all concerned give my career a second chance.”

Not able to play a part in the best-of-three final series against Premium Cobras, Bristol thought it best not to come to the Palais des Sports, but his heart was with his team.

“I get nervous when watching my team play so I preferred not to come to watch the matches. But during both matches, I phoned every five minutes to get the score. I’m happy my teammates won the final,” he added.

G. G.