It’s only the preseason and fireworks are already exploding.
What was expected to be a casual Cesafi preseason tournament turned ugly as players from the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers and the Don Bosco Technological Institute Greywolves figured in a bench-clearing brawl in the 1st Mayor Teche Sitoy-Cho basketball tournament in Cordova town, off Mactan Island.
The aftermath of the fracas proved to be uglier as 22 players from both schools were slapped with suspensions and a total of P110,000 fines. The sanction was handed down by Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy on Wednesday morning after a review of the reports submitted by deputy commissioner Danny Duran and the officiating crew.
Based on the reports, the first incident happened with a little over six minutes remaining in the fourth. Curiously, Duran claimed he was not able to pinpoint the instigators of the fracas and allowed the game to continue. Then with 16 seconds left, Don Bosco guard Ken Gato was forced to give up a foul on UV’s Beirn Laurente to stop the clock. However, Laurente took exception and threw the ball at Gato, sparking the free-for-all that saw both benches empty.
Tournament officials struggled to contain the fracas as chairs were thrown onto the court from the bleachers. They eventually decided to call off the game.
Ten players each from UV and Don Bosco were suspended for the rest of the tournament citing the league’s code of conduct which states that any player, coach or staff that participates or is seen inside the court during a melee or brawl shall be meted with a tournament-long suspension. Two more players from both schools were also suspended for a game for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The erring athletes were also given a fine of P5,000 each and will be required to render community service of four hours before they will be allowed to play in the upcoming Cesafi season set to open on August 6.
The incident was UV’s second in the said tournament after Ateneo de Cebu alleged that one of its players got punched during a sudden power outage in the middle of the game.