Gullas suspends four UV players for the season

UNIVERSITY of the Visayas (UV) assistant vice president for finance and administration and basketball team manager Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas suspended for the rest of the Cesafi season four of his players who were involved in a scuffle in Tuesday night’s semifinal game versus the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras at the Cebu Coliseum.

This was anounced by an emotional and remorseful Gullas in a press conference that was called in lieu of the unfortunate near-riot that ensued near the end of the match between the Green Lancers and the Cobras. The Cobras won the game and advanced to championship round for the first time (see banner story).

Several UV players along with head coach Felix Belano were ejected in the game for incurring unsportsmanlike fouls. Edrian Lao, John Abad, Phil Mercader and Belano were all thrown out of the game.

The four along with forward Rene Saycon were handed one-game suspensions by the Cesafi but Gullas, after meeting with the rest of his clan, which run the school, decided it was best to suspend the players for the rest of the season.

“It really added insult to injury,” said Gullas, who emphatically said that the four will no longer be seen at the Cebu Coliseum for the remainder of the tournament.

UV is set to play the University of San Carlos (USC) today for the third place trophy.

“As if losing wasn’t enough, it hurts more to see our players do that. It doesn’t go hand in hand with the morals that we try to teach at this institution. We don’t want this to happen ever again. We’re sorry and we take full responsibility for the actions of our players.”

Gullas also added that his grandfather, Congressman and UV president Eddie Gullas was not happy with the incident either. “This is not what we teach our students.”

But Gullas was frank in his assessment of the officiating and implored the organizers to provide better referees in future tournaments.

“None of this would have happened if not for the bad officiating. There were a lot of bad calls or non-calls that were clearly frustrating for the part of our team.

We urge the Cesafi to provide us a better pool of refs. Better training, better overall refs. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio