Italy's male water polo team, the
Settebello, on Thursday night got a six-month ban from World
Aquatics for bringing the sport into disrepute by turning their
backs on officials after a controversial quarter-final defeat to
Hungary at the Paris Olympics that was allegedly marred by poor
refereeing.
The ban means thwy won't be able to take part in the upcoming
World Cup.
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi on Friday defended the team saying
its protest against refereeing decisions had been "correct and
civilised.
"I believe that certain international organizations," he
continued, "go a little too far and do not understand the state
of mind of athletes who work for years to reach a goal that
fails due to an error that has also been recognized.
"The behavior was not violent, it was firm. And it was also a
protest, which must always be respected".
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