Basketball fiasco

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I WAS elated, proud and very grateful to two sports minded persons in my village (Buenlag, Mangaldan) who organized an inter-purok basketball tournament recently that received a big plaudit from my village mates, including this writer. The tandem, a certain Mr. Bengson and Mr. Dabu, joined hands to accommodate the wish of the young ones in my village to hold a basketball tourney, which is supposed to be the métier of the barangay council, first and foremost the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) body. My village mates are aware that after the 2002 cagefest organized by the SK, no sports meet was ever held again and that eventually fueled enmities from the basketball buffs against the youth body. Thanks to two sports fanatic fellows, the wish came true.

The qualifying round and the semis run smooth and fine. 

But unfortunately, the championship matches, especially the third and last game, turned awry. The losing team complained of biased and poor officiating against the referees and table officials and no ‘black and white’ ground rules and regulations were handed to them before and during the hostilities. Short to say, the tournament was ill-designed.

Well, that’s common in any game, particularly in the finals. “In every defeat, there’s always an alibi,” like what the adage goes.

But the worst thing that caught my attention was a melee that happened during the final match involving my village kagawad Fred Salayog and his son Rendel against the three male children of Kagawad Mejia of neighboring barangay Landas, namely Pito, Richard and Junior. It happened just beside the court, outside the quadrangle railings.

Kagawad Salayog, who was sporting a right ‘black eye,’ told me in an interview that his son was hit first due to a tricycle altercation. He also hinted that the other root of the fighting could be due to business envy and rivalry. Salayog also lamented that the barangay tanods who were watching the game never attempted to pacify the scuffle, a sign of weakness from people who are supposed to be holding authority.

What happened to Kagawad Salayog, an elected official, was the first after so many decades and a slap in the face for the barangay council. My kumpadre, our barangay chairman, Melchor de Guzman, is trying his best to instill discipline among the people and maintain peace and order in the village. But some shenanigans outside my village are not mortified or terrified by his warnings. Obviously, these transgressors of laws are showing a defiance of his good intentions and staining his leadership. They should be punished.

Wake up, Kumpadre. You are our father in this village. I know you are a good leader. We are always at your side.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/)

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