CVIRAA exec’s move to stop game to prevent another ‘basketbrawl’ lauded

CVIRAA basketball boys secondary division tournament manager Aurelio Eslawan (second from right) joins other tournament officials in Carcar City during the meet. | Photo from R R Decena

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The tournament manager of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) secondary boys basketball, Aurelio Eslawan, was lauded by the head coach of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles head coach Rommel Rasmo for preventing another ‘basketbrawl’ during the finals match in Carcar City, south Cebu on Friday. 

Eslawan was forced to stop the game at 3:48 mark of the final period with Mandaue City manned by the SHS-AdC Magis Eagles after he allegedly witnessed first-hand how the City of Bogo players played ‘unsportsmanlike’ basketball. 

Mandaue City was leading by 24 points, 76-52, and was on the verge of winning the finals game when it was stopped.

WATCH: ‘Basketbrawl’ in Moalboal, Cebu

‘Basketbrawl’

Eslawan, in an interview with CDN Digital, said that it was the right decision to make to prevent another ‘basketbrawl’ that  marred Cebu’s basketball scene recently.

It can be recalled that a foreign player mauled Cebuano and PBA cager JR Quinahan in an exhibition match in Carmen town, north Cebu last April 22. Another PBA player, Beau Belga was also involved in that incident. The following day, the University of Cebu (UC) and Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) players and spectators figured in free-for-all outside a venue of an inter-collegiate tilt in Moalboal town, south Cebu. 

The UC-CIT-U brawl resulted in multiple suspensions and bans.

READ: Moalboal ‘basketbrawl’: Sanctions, bans imposed on those involved in UC-CIT-U melee

Cebu Basketball put in bad light

For Eslawan, Cebu’s basketball scene have been put in bad light with the recent incidents, which forced him to stop the game on Friday to de-escalate the situation. 

“As the tournament manager, I’ve seen that the players of Bogo are no longer playing basketball. Immediately, as the tournament manager, there was already a commanding lead in favor of Mandaue City which Bogo can no longer cut the deficit. So, I did my job to stop the game for the protection of the players, for the protection of the CVIRAA tournament, and the viewing public,” said Eslawan. 

He said that he saw many times the City of Bogo players coached by Denzel Sabroso, allegedly fouled Mandaue City’s players hard, which for him was unnecessary and unsportsmanlike. 

“It happened I was observing the game, I instructed my assistant tournament manager to advise our referees. Medyo nakita na nako ang duwa sa Bogo (I already saw how the Bogo team played and) that they are no longer, what we call this playing basketball seriously. They’re playing unsportsmanlike basketball,” Eslawan added.

CVIRAA exec: Unsportsmanlike fouls

Eslawan added that three players from Bogo received flagrant fouls and were seated for three minutes for their alleged unsportsmanlike fouls. 

“It’s already untolerable, sakit na ilang mga fouls, pag 3:48 seconds, a player from Mandaue City was hit in the head, I immediately stopped the game for the protection of the players and the league and to prevent chaos from happening. Kung nahitabo, ako ang manubag. I’ve done my job,” said Eslawan. 

(It’s already untolerable, their fouls already hurt, at 3:48 seconds, a player from Mandaue City was hit in the head, I immediately stopped the game for the protection of the players and the league and to prevent chaos. If something will happen, I will be the one to answer for it. I’ve done my job.)

Rommel Rasmo, head coach of Mandaue City, has lauded Aurelio Eslawan, CVIRAA tournament manager of secondary boys basketball, for stopping a highly physical game and prevented another possible “basketbrawl” from happening. | From SHS-AdC Sports

Commendable act

Rasmo, in an interview with CDN Digital, said that Eslawan’s action was commendable and right, to prevent the situation from escalating. 

He also reminded his players to play with class, character, and integrity, as he already anticipated a highly-physical matchup against Bogo.

It can be recalled that Rasmo and Sabroso led their teams in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) high school basketball to the finals last year. 

Rasmo’s SHS-AdC won the best-of-three finals series against Sabroso’s City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy (CBSAA) Trailblazers. In that finals series, Sabroso and SHS-AdC’s assistant coach Francis Auquico were suspended one game after an altercation mid-game at the Cebu Coliseum. 

“Yung sa nangyari talaga (In what happened), I want to commend the tournament manager and the officials of the CVIRAA basketball. I believe he made the right decision to stop the game, one way to preserve the integrity and beauty of basketball game,” said Rasmo.

“Hindi na basketball ang nilaro ng Bogo City. I always emphasize to the kids to always play the right way, kung manalo tayo, we have to win with class, character and integrity. Also, we have to protect our basketball because sira na ang image ng basketball natin, as much as possible iwasan,” he said.

(Bogo City was no longer playing basketball. I always emphasize to the kids to always play the right way, if we are win, then we have to win with class, character and integrity. Also, we have to protect our basketball because the image of basketball here is already bad, as much as possible we have to avoid that.)

Denzel Sabroso, head coach of the City of Bogo secondary boys basketball team, says they were only playing with heart and among all teams that they had faced only Mandaue was the one who complained about how they played. | From CBSAA Trailblazers page

We only played with heart

Sabroso, for his part said that they were always locked in and played with heart regardless of the teams they would face on the court. 

It happened that SHS-AdC was on their way in the finals of CVIRAA secondary boys basketball. 

Sabroso said that they only wanted to win and his players would always rise to the challenge regardless of their opponents on the court.

In addition, Sabroso strongly denied all the allegations thrown at him and said that Mandaue City was the only team that complained in their entire CVIRAA campaign. 

“Both teams want to win, they want to win, our kids will always rise to the challenge. It will always be, they said versus we said. No other team complained and they were not the only team we played sa (with in) CVIRAA sila ra man (they are the only ones who complained). I’m proud of our kids, taking on a big ball club like Ateneo and we will continue to improve. We will continue to play with heart not just against Ateneo, but in any sporting event against any team. Thank you,” said Sabroso.