US basketball

CESAFI: Sacred Heart downplays head lock incident with UV player

Mars G. Alison

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CESAFI: Sacred Heart downplays head lock incident with UV player
Officials from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu say they are not giving more attention to photos of a head lock incident among players circulating on Facebook

CEBU CITY, Philippines – While everyone is having their say on the photo of a University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancer player who appears to be putting a Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles in a head lock, SHS-AdC officials declined to issue any more statements about it as they do not want to blow up the issue.

The photo was taken at the September 4 game in the High School division of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc (CESAFI) wherein the SHS-AdC Magis Eagles took the scalp of the UV Green Lancers in another blowout win, 74-45.

The game started on a bad note when a little more than 5 minutes into the ballgame, UV’s Ivan Jay Maata was thrown out for punching SHS-AdC’s Eroll Pastor. Later, after the alleged head lock incident, SHS-AdC’s Jed Colonia, last season’s Most Valuable Player, was also called for unsportsmanlike behavior for swinging his elbows at Joshua Yerro.

SHS-AdC athletic director Rico Navarro said the school wants to distance from the social media incident and focus on what really happened. He added that school officials appreciate the efforts made by UV team manager SamSam Gullas in reaching out to them, as well as CESAFI officials.

“We are treating it like a family matter. We are in constant communication with the proper channels. We want it to be very professional and transparent,” said Navarro, who confirmed that SHS has not filed any complaint with the CESAFI regarding the incident. 

Viral photo

A certain Anthony Hejie Suralta shared the photo on social networking site Facebook  with the caption: “A UV player got ejected for punching 5 minutes after the game started. A few minutes later another Magis Eagles player was headlock by another UV player but this time the referees didn’t see it. UV players this is not UFC but this is basketball intawn. The next picture shows the face of the player who choked our player …”

The post has gathered 419 likes and has been shared 188 times in its first 22 hours of posting.

The post also tagged some of Cebu sports reporters and editors covering the CESAFI basketball tournament.

The scuffle between the 3 UV Baby Lancers and one SHS-AdC Magis Eagles player actually happened early in the third quarter, when the Magis Eagle player swiped the ball from the Baby Lancers player.

As the Baby Lancer player was attempting to get back the ball, the Magis Eagle player fell on the hardcourt while holding the ball close to his stomach. The Baby Lancers hoopster then dived on top of him and wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to swipe the ball. That was when two of his teammates converged on them, followed by the referee who called for a jump ball.

The whole thing happened right in front of the SHS-AdC bench and the Magis Eagles coaching staff, whose reactions were nothing out of the ordinary.

In the photo, however, it appeared that the Baby Lancers player’s arms were around the neck of the Magis Eagles player. 

‘Heads will roll’

UV basketball team manager Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr, Cebu First District Representative, earlier called for an investigation when he saw the pictures going viral on Facebook, Gullas promised that “heads will roll” should there be someone found to have erred.

“Since I’m in Manila now in Congress, I tasked HS head coach Phil Mercader, college coach Gary Cortes and basketball overall in charge coach Jun Pepito to investigate the matter,” said Gullas via text message.

“I will suspend the player pending the investigation. I will suspend the player pending the investigation. I will be back in Cebu this Thursday. But surely heads will roll,” he added.

Gullas was also present during the game but admitted not being able to clearly see what happened as he was sitting on the other side of the court, near their side of the bench.

However, he said that when he saw the pictures – which to him clearly showed a head lock – he immediately called for the investigation. He has also reached out to SHS president Father Manny Uy and assured them, “I will do the right thing.”

He said that if the investigation will be done earlier before Thursday,  September 8,  he will make a decision while still in Manila where he is attending sessions in Congress.

Gullas also asked for feedback from the Magis Eagles player involved, saying the latter would be the best person to narrate what really happened. He believes that coming from such school, the player will give them an honest account of the incident.

The team manager, however, expressed disappointment with his players who were also involved in a preseason tournament bench clearing incident in July which led to a P55,000-fine and the suspension of 11 players. One of the punishments he meted out then was to withhold the players’ sneakers.

He said that all the warnings and lessons from that incident seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. “It is an insult to the school as they are representing the institution, and to our family as well,” the congressman said.

The Gullas family owns UV. – Rappler.com

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