SPORTS enthusiasts in Cagayan de Oro were given a little dose of “real action” in the court on Wednesday evening when players from host team MisOr Meteors and visiting team ML Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños exchanged punches, which literally sent some players bleeding on the court.
What started as a friendly game turned out to be a little bloody, thanks to the high temper of players from both teams.
Since Monday during the start of the games, basketball fanatics, some of whom are children, followed through every dribble of the players as they shout and clap with their favorite teams.
But Wednesday’s brawl inside the court is something that should have not escalated had the spectators leave all the dispute to the players.
According to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Noli Eala, what happened was that the security people who were supposed to provide security to the game joined in the fight, as shown in the game’s video footages.
Out of fear, the Cebu Niños earlier refused to play last Thursday’s championship against the Meteors. Fortunately, Eala and the rest of the Liga Pilipinas team had convinced them to play.
Before the start of Thursday’s championship game, Gov. Oscar Moreno of Misamis
Oriental apologized to basketball fanatics for what happened, but called them to just “enjoy the game and literally stay as spectators.”
“Let the players play and handle all. Ayaw na lang mo paglabot-labot. The players are tough, but toughness is not synonymous to roughness,” was Gov.
Moreno’s words though he emphasized that the League does not encourage nor tolerate such kind of behavior.
He promised, though, that such thing would never happen again.
It should never happen. Or else, professional basketball games may no longer be held in Cagayan de Oro and basketball fanatics would no longer get the chance to shout and cheer with their favorite teams. It might also give a negative impact on children who personally saw the punching and the shouting of the players.