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MANILA, Philippines—As in seasons past, the drama in an Ateneo-La Salle game continued off court.
De La Salle University coach Franz Pumaren had stressed that the mandatory UAAP rule that coaches must wear their IDs during the game must be “applied to all” even as commissioner Chito Narvasa said the incident did not affect the outcome of the Eagles-Archers game Sunday.
“I can follow a rule if they apply it to all,” an irate Pumaren said minutes after the Archers bowed to the Eagles, 79-73, in another tense-filled competition between the two fierce varsity rivals on the second day of the men’s basketball competition.
Before the opening game jumpball, the Eagles were awarded two free throws as league officials slapped a technical foul on the La Salle coaching staff for failing to wear their official IDs on court.
“It was a simple rule that was violated,” said Narvasa. “It’s over. There wasn’t any effect on the game.”
“It’s actually an existing rule and the board wanted it implemented. We do not craft the laws. Last year they were lenient, but the board wants to be strict this time. There was a meeting of coaches before the season started. La Salle didn’t send a representative. But the information was disseminated. It’s the responsibility of the team.”
Pumaren said the University of Santo Tomas coaching staff similarly did not wear their official IDs, but were not slapped with a technical foul in its game against the University of the East last Saturday.
Although the Green Archers opted not to file a game protest, team officials sent the Philippine Daily Inquirer a photo of UST coach Pido Jarencio not wearing an ID in the game that saw the Tigers losing to the Warriors, 78-73, last Saturday.
Coach Norman Black had his own share of complaints after officials meted the Ateneo de Manila University mentor with a technical foul “for disobeying the commissioner’s order” before the fourth quarter.
Black questioned the call, noting that he never said a word to the referees after he was told not to address them again.
“It was his physical gesture and not what he said,” explained Narvasa. “I talked to him after the game and he already apologized.”
Narvasa added that there was an agreement before the season started that coaches can only talk to the commissioner before the game, at halftime and after the game.
“During the game, you have to course everything to the referees,” he said.
