Lousy officiating

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I HAVE said it before and I’ll say it once more: the most controversial yet most important persons in sports competitions, particularly the ball games like basketball, and volleyball, baseball, are essentially the referees, umpires, arbiters, timers and scorers.

They are either one of the prime factors for the success of the affair, or the destroyer of the event.

These had happened many times in the past.

It happened again last Tuesday evening during the 2008 Mangaldan Inter Barangay Basketball Tournament in the match between barangay Buenlag and Guantang.

In that game, held at the barangay Malabago open-court, referees Joemar Alave and Jorge Ceralde made a lot of bum calls that irked this writer. (I was the coach of Team Buenlag).

I’m not sour-grapping because I, too, knew and I’m admitting that my team lost because of numerous costly miscues by my players, particularly in the dying 55 seconds of the game.

We lost because we lost, no question about it. And we know how to accept the reality.

But what I can’t tolerate were the multiple bum calls of these two referees, not only against my team but also against our opponent.

The two were obviously not competent or skilled enough to do the job. Their reflexes are not quick contrary to what I had expected from them. Kulang na kulang pa sila nang hasa, ika nga.

There are three officiating groups that are based here in central Pangasinan, namely: the  pioneer BARECOM (Basketball Referees Commission), affiliated with Basketball Association of the Phil., and spearheaded by Jon Cansino; the DEBRA (Department of Education Basketball Referees Association),  associated with DepEd  and led by Edil Abalos;  and the newly formed NARECOM (National Referees Commission) affiliated with SBP (Samahang  Basketbol ng Pilipinas), paced by Robert “Jun” Amado.

Referees Alave and Ceralde are bonafide members of NARECOM.

To my knowledge in basketball officiating, only the nationally-licensed Roberto Amado, Jr. and Pangasinan NARECOM commissioner Fernando “Enan” Mangonon are the competent whistle-blowers. The rest are questionable.

While nobody is perfect, to make three or more whistle-blowing errors, especially in the end game, is a very, very different story. That is already a lousy officiating. It’s what makes the game a flop.

We have a cliche in the media circle which goes: “walang personalan, trabaho lang.” You have your job amigos, I also have my job. And I firmly believe that without freedom of the press, democracy is dead.

Keep on blundering and I’ll keep on PUNCHing.

* * * *

I hope the young San Carlos City Mayor Ayoy Resuello is a “man of words” when he said  last January 9 on DZRD Sonshine Radio that when the next San Carlos City big occasion comes, San Carlenean cyclist  Enrique Domingo will be given a recognition award for his exemplary achievements during the now defunct Marlboro Tour and Tour Pilipinas.

Domingo, a sergeant in the Philippine Army, is from barangay Panggalangan. He’s the only cyclist since 1956, birth year of Philippine multi-stage cycling, to win the coveted “Sprint King” plum seven times. He became a member of the Philippine national squad for a record of ten years.

The aging Domingo, 37, is still active in cycling, frequently joining my organized races here. He’s a member of Pangasinan’s well-known cycling squad Pitaki Boyz.

“Masaya kong tatanggapin ang ibibigay nilang award sa akin for the first time after so many years,” said Domingo in his text message to me.

“Pero hindi pa rin ako gaano umaasa kasi sana nuon pa yan, eh. Ganuon pa man sana matuloy na at salamat kay Mayor Resuello,” Domingo added.

And I hope too that it will be done. This will disprove what some San Carleneans told me that Resuello is anti-cycling and loves only basketball.

* * * *

My condolence to the family of former Tour of Luzon cyclist Inocencio Sicam who just passed away last Thursday.

According to my reliable source, my kumpadre and also former cyclist Alfredo  dela Cruz, Sicam’s  barriomate and former teammate, Sicam of barangay Flores, San Manuel, Pangasinan and married to the former Arsenia Pasion with six children, suffered a stroke, fell, and hit his head on the floor that caused his instant demise.

Sicam was the father of Pangasinan’s only back-to-back (1981-1982) Marlboro Tour champion Jacinto.

The two-time winner Jacinto met his untimely death on October, 1988 when he was hit face-to-face by a passenger bus along the national highway in Binalonan riding a motorcycle with dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz survived with a broken leg.

      Dela Cruz said Sicam’s interment will be on January 26.

(Readers may reach columnist at biking.jess@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/
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