USC coach apologizes to Cesafi head, league

THE University of San Carlos Baby Warriors’ head coach Britt Carlo Reroma has apologized to the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) for the recent trouble that he has found himself in and added that “he has nothing but the highest respect for league commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy.”

Reroma got himself in hot water after Tiukinhoy recommended that the latter be suspended for a year for what was allegedly an “unethical conduct” during their first game last Aug. 3 at the Cebu Coliseum.

The brouhaha stemmed from Reroma’s attempt to field center Scott Aying into their game against the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers 3 in spite of the latter’s floating status at the time.

Later, Aying was decided to be ineligible to play this season after suiting up for Don Bosco back in 2011. League rules state that players transferring from one Cesafi member school to another must serve a two-year residency.

“Mr. Reroma acted arrogantly in fielding in Mr. Aying as he fully knows that Mr. Aying is not qualified to play,” narrated Tiukinhoy in his incident report.

According to Reroma in his letter to Cesafi president Fr. Manny A. Uy, he said that he was merely following school orders after a letter appealing Aying’s eligibility was furnished by USC’s Basic Education Director, Fr. Felino Javines to the league’s screening committee headed by Tiukinhoy.

During the second period of the said game, seeing as Aying was getting ready to check in to the game, Tiukinhoy approached the USC bench and told Reroma that he not put in the youngster or run the risk of completely forfeiting the match.

Reroma said that he heeded Tiukinhoy’s warning “since I respect him as our Commissioner.” /Correspondent Jonas Panerio