Shape up or ship out.
This was the warning of Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairperson Abraham Mitra to the first community-based professional basketball league down south, the VisMin Super Cup.
The VisMin Super Cup Mindanao leg was supposed to open on May 20 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte, but the GAB has decided to hold it off and re-examine the Visayas tournament to ensure that the controversial game between the Siquijor Mystics and Arq Builders Lapu-Lapu City Heroes will not be repeated.
“We have decided to re-evaluate the VisMin Cup and postpone the Mindanao leg. We want to make sure that the Visayas leg of the VisMin Cup is done properly and all issues should be addressed before we allow the Mindanao leg to start. We want to see how the games are played after the warning has been given. We already gave them a fair warning: shape up or ship out. Otherwise their licenses will be cancelled, the league will be cancelled,” Mitra explained.
The April 14 game saw players from both teams fumbling shots, playing sloppily, and performing other suspicious actions. This led to the league slapping a perpetual ban on the Mystics and suspending and fining several members and a coach of the Heroes.
Mitra added that the GAB Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit will also conduct an investigation into the league.
“The GAB Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit will be going to Cebu maybe Wednesday or Thursday this week to conduct another investigation, so this is now headed by former head deputy of NCRPO [National Capital Region Police Office], ngayon [now] GAB head na ng [of the] Illegal Gambling Unit… Pupunta na rin sila ng [They will also be going to] Cebu to give us better insight on what’s happening,” Mitra continued.
Mitra expressed hopes that this incident will not happen again and announced that GAB is open to anyone who can aid the investigation.
“We just want to assure…everybody na [that] were disappointed in what happened, and [we] will not allow those people to continue to destroy what basketball is to [the Philippines]… Lahat ng taong Pinoy mahilig sa basketball. Huwag naman sana masira rito (All Filipinos like basketball. I hope that this incident will not ruin it) … We call on all the players… leagues to do the needed reforms and hopefully finish on a high note…. We’re hoping and praying none of this happens again and the investigation still continues…. We welcome any other organizations to help,” he said. – Report by Ma. Isabel Reyes/JBB
