Referee exits officiating amidst controversy in Game 3 of Efes-Fenerbahce semis / News - Basketnews.com

Aytug Ekti, one of the referees involved in the Efes-Fenerbahce Game 3, has made the decision to retire from refereeing following the Turkish Basketball Federation's response to the situation.

Credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

The controversy surrounding the officiating of the game between Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko continues to rumble. Aytug Ekti, one of the referees involved in the game, has announced his decision to quit refereeing.

Points this season

48%82,8Points made:82,8Accuracy:48,1%Place in standings:6Record max:107Record min:66Best scorer:Johnathan MotleyTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

In Game 3 of the Turkish League semis, Anadolu Efes emerged victorious 97-91, taking the lead in the best-of-five series 2-1. Following the game, Fenerbahce expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing and released a statement regarding the officials' performance.

In the aftermath, the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) declared that the referee trio -- Ekti, Zafer Yilmaz, and Serdar Unal -- would not be assigned any more matches until the end of the season.

Subsequently, Aytug Ekti announced his retirement in response to TBF's decision.

He shared the following statement:

"After 30 years of serving as a domestic and international referee within the Turkish Basketball Federation,I feel sorry for the refereeing profession, and I reject the federation's decision to 'rest the referees until the end of the season.'

This decision was intended to address the errors that happened during the Anadolu Efes-Fenerbahce game in the Turkish League semifinals, therefore I inform the public that I am terminating my career as a sign of respect.

The term 'referee's decision affecting the outcome of the match' is unacceptable to us, as our responsibility as referees is to ensure fair competition. However, Fenerbahce management insists on imposing more significant and deterrent sanctions.

In making this decision, my primary concern is to preserve the integrity of the refereeing profession, which has been called into question by the perception that the outcome of the mentioned match was not determined by technical factors.

I regret that my decades-long dedication to fulfilling my duty as an impartial referee, a role I chose with the utmost respect for my ancestors, did not culminate in the outcome it deserved. Nonetheless, I also feel a sense of responsibility to cleanse the profession of this stain in a manner befitting my self-sacrifice.

With a focus on human ethical values and sporting morals, I wish my fellow referees many successful seasons ahead, where they won't have to justify themselves and their decisions to the federations and teams they serve, but rather remain solely accountable to the International Basketball Rules."

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