OLAGO suffered difficulties in breathing, vomiting and had severe pain in the stomach and was quickly brought to the hospital a while after giving post-game interviews.
According to sports doctor Dr. Rhoel Dejano, the head of Cesafi medical team, Olago was brought to Chong Hua Hospital by the Sambag 2 Emergency and Rescue ambulance after the Cameroonian center and the Cesafi MVP started to vomit and complained of severe pain on his stomach at the team dugout.
The pain was on the spot where he was allegedly hit by UV point guard June Kent Manzo in the final 1:26 of the game. Because of that incident, Manzo who was earlier assessed with unsportsmanlike foul, was thrown out as the foul was upgraded to a disqualifying foul.
At the hospital, doctors had to have Olago admitted for further examination and rehydration.
“Maybe it’s a case of blunt abdominal trauma. He’s okay now but he had to undergo several lab tests and observations,” Dejano told Sun.Star Cebu.
Dejano explained that blunt abdominal trauma are sometimes career and life-threatening cases.
According to Dejano, a blunt abdominal trauma is usually suffered by athletes who engage in high contact sports such as football, basketball, martial arts and the likes. Although abdominal injuries are rare in sports, when they occur it is important that a physician recognize the warning signs of potentially life-threatening injury to the liver, spleen, or hollow abdominal viscera which can lead to death.
Because of what happened to Olago, USC backers, led by Bogo City Mayor Junie Martinez and Perry Lim are now planning to file complaint to Cesafi because according to them, this is not the first time it happened.
“We are trying to have a conference with Cesafi commissioner (Felix) Tiukinhoy and UV Team manager (Sam Sam) Gullas because we want to teach Manzo a lesson, since this is not the first time he did it to Olago. During the pre-season meeting between UV and USC in Medellin, the game that was cut short because UV walked out, Manzo also hit Olago on the crotch. Now, in front of national TV and thousands of people at the Cebu Coliseum, he did it again. Players who have chronic intention to hurt opposing players have no place in sports, in Cesafi,” Martinez told Sun.Star.
However, a slow motion grab from Sun.Star Cebu’s live streaming shared online showed no punch as alleged by USC camp. The clip shows Olago rushing for a fast-break, with Manzon positioning himself to try to get a charge called against Olago.
PBA 4-time MVP and USC alumni Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez, who was in front of the action, said Manzo used his shoulder to put Olago off balance.