USPF’s Sameen Swint (third from left) sits on the bench after not being allowed to play against USJ-R due to uniform issues. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines —Despite not being able to help his team in a Cesafi men’s basketball game on Saturday, October 5, 2019, due to uniform issues, University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers foreign student athlete Sameen Swint believes the team will be able to recover.
USPF lost to the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), 77-61, in a game where the promising American player was forced to sit out for not having his playing jersey with him.
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“It hurts to not play tonight and help my team on the court but we’ll be okay,” said the player from New Jersey, USA. “We will practice and regroup for next game.”
According to USPF’s team manager Brian Jereza, Swint’s jersey top got torn during their game against the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers last October 1, 2019.
Jereza added that they had a new one made for him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t done in time for their game against USJ-R.
Swint had actually started playing wearing the USPF blue jersey top with a paper printed with his number, 14, taped in front and another paper with his last name on it, taped at the back.
The game was halted just a few minutes into after the start of the first quarter with USJ-R head coach Leode Garcia calling the attention of game officials.
Garcia and Jereza then huddled with Cesafi commissioner Felix “Boy” Tuikinhoy and other Cesafi officials, including tournament director Danny Duran.
It was decided that Swint would not be allowed to play per rules of the league.
“As far as the uniform, I don’t really want to speak on that situation but everything will be okay for the next game and rest of the season,” Swint said.
USPF dropped to 3-4 (win-loss) in the team standings.
USJ-R logged its second win in seven games. /bmjo