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Thursday, September 22, 2005
Who'll bear the brunt?
By Glenn C. Michelena
Sun.Star Correspondent
The day has finally come. The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation (Cesafi) Board will announce its decision today on the possible additional sanctions on the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors and the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, which were involved in a brawl on Sept. 11 at the USC Gym.
The Cesafi Board, led by 2005 Cesafi president Jose “Dodong” Gullas of the University of the Visayas, is expected to hand out its decision on the playing status of UC wingman Allain Abellanosa and USC guard Ahman James Tagalog – the two players who were tagged to have sparked the free-for-all at the USC Gym.
Gullas is also expected to shed light on the case of Delfin Pepito, who was earlier suspended by the league for allegedly attempting to throw a punch at referee Jimmy Ybańez a week ago. Pepito has appealed his case.
Tagalog and Abellanosa hold special mention because they sparked the melee by engaging in a fistfight near the USC bench with 1:38 minutes left in the USC-UC encounter last Sept. 11. The likelihood is that the league will issue a stiff penalty on the offenders, but who gets to bear the brunt of the penalties is still a big question.
One-year ban
In a similar incident last year, the Cesafi board meted University of San Jose-Recoletos center Ariel Lozano a one-year suspension for punching University of Southern Philippines center Randy Colonia in the stomach. USJ-R appealed the case of its 6-foot-4 center, but the league remained firm on its stand with 2004 Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhuy saying the stiff penalty is aimed to be a warning to players who play dirty.
It remains to be seen, however, if the league will also penalize the referees of the brawl-marred match. Many observers said the referees’ failure to control the situation was a big factor in the incident.
“Nobody was there to keep an eye on the players, and that’s a big mistake” USC coach Mike Reyes said. “All of them were gathered around (UC coach) Rhoel (Gomez) during the dead ball, and it was a big reason why the fight between Abellanosa and Tagalog occurred.”
(September 22, 2005 issue)
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