Gumarang deplores basketball team selection

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

WHEN I got word from my cousin Alex Aquino that the University of Luzon (UL) will officially represent region 1 in the forthcoming National Students Basketball Championship (NSBC) slated on February 27-March 3 based on what his son UL player Aljick told him, I just shrugged it off. I told him that in my belief the ongoing Jimmy Fernandez Invitational Cup is the qualifying tourney for this prestigious national tilt. He said “no” and because UL is a member of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP), the BAP officials of our region headed by Dagupan City Veem Belen Fernandez, Jack Vidal and Seato Gonimil will handpick the school representative. I told him that will be unfair if this report was true, especially to other institutions in Dagupan City, Pangasinan or Region 1. I said there should be another elimination tourney or the Jimmy Fernandez Invitational Cup should be the logical one. He replied, “Wala tayong magagawa, yan ang batas nila.”

Morning of January 24 I bumped into Lyceum Northwestern University basketball head coach Angel Gumarang at Pedrito’s Restaurant where the launching of PBA’s BMEG assistant coach Dayong Mendoza (first child of PUNCH colleague Al S. Mendoza) called “Camp and Play” was held. With them were LNU president Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque, LNU athletic director Nestor Cesar Duque and former MBA’s Pangasinan Presidents point-guard Ramsy Bajar. And it was there that I confirmed from Gumarang about the selection of the Dagupan City quintet, which according to him, based on Gonimil’s text messages, that the national BAP officials (kuno) handpicked UL as the representative of Region 1 in the NSBC. “This is absurd and very unfair to the other institutions,” said Gumarang. “It was very clear when they published it in the Sunday PUNCH November 27, 2011 issue written by Philamer Celi that whoever wins the championship in the ongoing Jimmy Fernandez Invitational Cup will represent Region 1 in the coming NSBC event and now they’re changing their mind. This is a kind of dictatorship,” Gumarang fumed. “I’m not belittling UL but sad to say that they’re not the best team in the region anymore, landing only fourth place in the 2011 PRISAA-UCAAP tourney, their worst after so many years of dominance. This is a national event so we must send our region’s best because prestige is not only for UL but the region as a whole, especially Dagupan City and Pangasinan,” Gumarang explained. “I don’t know if the good vice mayor Belen Fernandez knows this kind of scheme by Gonimil and Vidal,” Gumarang added.

I meant to ask some clarifications from Vidal but unfortunately I already erased his contact numbers after my resignation from the 2011 PRISAA-UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Championship. Anyway, if the plan pushes through, it is really unjust and it reeks of authoritarianism.

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The Pangasinan Press Club’s (PPC) most-awaited sportsfest called “Palarong Media” set to be held on February 11 has been reset to February 18 at the LNU gym. I confirmed this during my meeting with all the events’ chairmen held last Wednesday presided by Andy Estrada, the affair’s executive committee chairman. Estrada said basketball which will be chaired by Jesse Perez, volleyball by Ike Palinar and Susan Yadao, bowling by Mel Jovellanos, badminton by Frenalyn Untalan and chess by Joel Fonseca.  Shootfest by Orly Navarro will be held after the ‘Fun Run’ which will be handled by famous writer Ging Cardinoza. 

This piece maker will handle the pingpong (table tennis) event. The project is under the initiative and organization of PPC president Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque. More on this next week. See you there. 

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Let nothing be done through self ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ. PHILIPPIANS 2: 3-5

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