Sports Eye
Running smoothly
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
DESPITE the problems and obstacles that the organizers of the 2010 PRISAA-UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Basketball Championship are encountering, I believe the league is running smoothly and fine. This has been my observation since the start of the tourney on July 22 and up to now, with the elimination round just concluded last August 12.
Understandably to some, especially the losers, may say it’s not. However, I can state categorically that the tournament this year is well-organized and a real big crowd-drawer unlike in previous years. I know this because I have not missed any of this year’s hostilities so far. It is typical for Filipinos to hurl accusations in any ball game particularly if there are some miscues committed by the game officials but that is normal in a sporting world where no event is perfectly organized. Even the Olympic and Asian Games, Tour de France, to name a few, which are already more than a century old, have yet to see a perfect organization. (But huwag naman sanang rampant and miscues because that would be a sign of incompetence). Yet, we should also know how to accept our mistakes and not be hypocrites. Even in medicine ay wala daw 100% na gamot, as my private physician Dr. Danilo Claridad once said to me. What more in sports?
Last Thursday could be the most problematic day that the organizers of the league encountered after seven days of skirmishes. First was the unexpected malfunctioning of the scoring and timing machine during the first quarter game between UL and CdD that delayed the match thrice; then one of 18 cabinet-sized air-conditioning machines conked out and produced smoke that scared the hell out of some spectators. Worst of all, there was the charge of UPang team officials against the bad officiating by the referees and they threatened to pull out from the competition now or next year if the officiating, according to their belief, remains bad. It happened after they lost the battle against LNU.
When told about the threat, league commissioner Gumarang was quick to say that he did not see any bum call from the referees during the LNU-UPang match and added that the problem of UPang is the coaching of Jay Ronquillo and not the court officials. He did not elaborate. He also said that if he were the mentor of the UPang boys (which he used to be in 2005 and made them team champion), he could land the Arellano street-based Flames among the top two in the finals.
Gumarang showed me a piece of paper that states the suspension of three table officials (no names printed) who manned the games on August 9 for three playing dates for ineptitude. That was the game between CdD and AMA Computer Dagupan which CdD won by a mere point, 78-77. What Gumarang intended was to show and give an example, especially to the court officials, that he doesn’t tolerate erring officials in any degree, especially during the semifinals when close and tight games among the four teams are expected.
Well, I will finally miss two games of the beautiful league. I will fly to Singapore on August 22 with Philippine Daily Inquirer elite sports columnist Recah Trinidad to personally watch the semifinals and gold medal matches of the First Youth Olympic Games. I will write a summary about the performance of our Philippine delegation, and possibly a feature about a Pangasinense who may be part of the team.
Latest news I received is that RP will not send a cycling contingent because of the unsettled rift among our national cycling leaders.
Hopefully our boys and girls will give a good showing, and hopefully bring home some medals. These young Olympians will be among the future medal-seekers in the coming 2012 London Olympics.
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