Sports Eye
4th Governor’s Cup cagefest unfurls Nov. 16
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
ELATED by the success of the first three editions, our sports-minded Governor Amado “Pogi’ I. Espino, III is gearing up anew to hold the fourth season of his brainchild, the provincewide popular cagefest “4th Governor’s Cup Inter-Town/City Basketball Tournament 2019. It is ready to unfurl this coming November 16 at Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) gymnasium in Lingayen with more than two dozen teams are expected to participate.
Like in the past three seasons, I attended the first preparatory meeting held lastWednesday morning at NRSCC restaurant for the update on the biggest, richest and the most prestigious annual basketball tournament in Northern Luzon. As usual, the league’s commissioner and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Region 1 top honcho Dr. Edilberto Abalos presided. Joining the Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council (PSDMC) czars Modesto Operania and Marlon Domalanta were coaches and managers of 27 teams representing their towns led by defending champion Urdaneta City (Rizaldy Garcia), three-time first runner-up Manaoag (Ferdinand Mangonon) and second season titleholder Lingayen (Jason Vinluan). Abalos detailed the tournament’s guidelines and emphasized the qualifications of players particularly the certification of the cager’s residency, the colors of uniforms, rules of conduct, objectives of the tourney, protest procedures for games’ disruption due to ‘force majeure’ like earthquake, typhoons, floods, rematch, reset, resumption, penalty, disqualification, to name some. Like the first three years, there’s no entry fee but a performance bond in the form of P10,000.00 cash and which shall be deposited to PSDMC. Abalos pointed out that the said amount will be refunded in full if the team doesn’t have violations, penalties, fines for walkout and forfeiture of a game. Abalos also underscored violations such as falsification, impersonation and misrepresentation by a team are serious offenses and can result in forfeiture of the performance bond.
I agree that these rules should be strictly enforced because based on my experience in my town Mangaldan during the inter-barangay tourney many years ago. An older but more experienced player borrowed his younger brother’s birth certificate and photo wand it was not closely scrutinized by the organizers. It was only discovered days after the tourney. Unfortunately, the violation did not lead to the disqualification of the erring team.
Abalos stressed that the Tournament Management Committee will strictly enforce the “ONE LEAGUE POLICY” specifically among players of the 4th Governor’s Cup. They are prohibited to join or participate in other government-sponsored basketball tournament/competition. Additionally, if a player is currently and actively participating in another PGP sponsored tourney not organized by PDSMC, the player must beg off from the current league to play to the 4th Governor’s Cup. Any player known to have played in two or more other PGP sponsored leagues at the same time will be subjected to fines and penalties including game forfeiture of the game won, and expulsion or ban of players. Abalos added that a player who played for a team in the previous season of the Governor’s Cup and transferred to another team must sit-out the next season of the Governor’s Cup and the player will only be eligible to play for his new team after sitting-out the season.
Well said, Commissioner. I doff my hat to you.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 1PETER 2: 8-9
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