CEBU CITY, Philippines—Police officials here are reminding athletes as well as organizers of sports tournaments to uphold sportsmanship.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) made this statement after violent, post-game incidents were reported in Cebu, the latest of which happened in Moalboal town in southwestern Cebu last Sunday, April 23, 2023.
“We would like to remind our athletes and sports enthusiasts to keep their cool and make sure the game is played fairly and learn to accept the outcome of the game,” said Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7.
Players from two Cebu-based universities were seen in a video circulating on social media getting involved in a fist fight after a match held in Moalboal’s municipal gym last Sunday.
WATCH: ‘Basketbrawl’ in Moalboal, Cebu
Several onlookers and bystanders managed to capture the brawl on their smartphones and uploaded the videos on social media.
Moalboal is hosting the 1st Mayor Inocentes Cabaron Inter-Collegiate Invitational with teams from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) among the participants.
Following Sunday’s incident, the sports committee of Moalboal released a statement, addressing the issue.
Pelare said investigation is still ongoing to shed light on the incident.
Local police in Moalboal confirmed that aside from the players themselves, their family members also joined in the rumble, he added.
The ‘basketbrawl’ in Moalboal is not the first violent, post-game incident reported in Cebu.
On Saturday, another brawl was reported in Carmen town, northern Cebu, involving PBA players Beau Belga and JR Quiñahan.
With this, the PRO-7 official advised sports organizers to coordinate with authorities to prevent brawls from happening in the future.
/ bmjo
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