Cagayan Valley Rising Suns head coach Alvin Pua was handed down a lifetime ban from all PBA-related activities and fined a whopping P500,000 for his violent actions toward referee Benjie Montero in the PBA D-League game between the Suns and Liver Marin last Thursday.
PBA Commissioner Chito Salud acted swiftly and decisively in penalizing the vile-tempered head coach, who has had a contentious history with game officials since 2012. In a statement released to the media yesterday afternoon, Salud that there could be no possible reason to justify Pua’s actions.
“There is plainly no room for hotheads and hooligans in basketball, let alone other sports. Mauling a game official can never be justified in any way. In the highest interest of sportsmanship and the norms of human decency, the league is hereby imposing a lifetime ban on Coach Pua from all PBA-related activities for mauling a referee and for his recalcitrant and incorrigible demeanor,” the statement said.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Pua struck Montero from behind and proceeded to punch him in the face to express disagreement with the warning call the latter made on the former. The confrontation landed Montero in the hospital.
In addition, the Office of the Commissioner said that the decision will be forwarded to the country’s basketball governing body, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, with the recommendation that Pua be banned from all SBP-sanctioned tournaments and activities.