UAAP commissioner Andy Jao said he will look into the 'commotion' involving Far Eastern University coach Nash Racela and La Salle team manager Terry Capistrano that marred the two teams' UAAP playoff match on Sunday.
Jao admitted he didn’t notice the incident and only learned about it from a Spin.ph story.
“Nagulat talaga ako. I see no reason why hindi ako dapat magulat. Kasi we didn’t notice it. Siguro nasa iba na focus namin nung mangyari, said Jao.
[See Racela sheds light on 'confrontation' with La Salle manager at end of playoff game]
The league commissioner said he is now in the process of getting statements from game officials close to the ‘heated handshake’ and will likely ask Racela and Capistrano to air their sides on the matter.
“I’ll get the statement of our game officials, referees and the people at the scorer’s table,” said the longtime television sports analyst. “I’ll try to hear their sides. I will write a letter. I will have to ask people first.”
“We have to hear both sides. Hindi naman pwdeng ako lang. Tatanungin namin kung ano nangyari,” he added.
Jao hopes to meet the two separately on Wednesday, saying he has enough time to investigate as the Final Four showdown between FEU and La Salle won't happen until Saturday.
But the UAAP commissioner was quick to play down the incident, saying it is nowhere close to another fight in 2005 where former La Salle assistant team manager Manny Salgado struck FEU forward Arwind Santos with a closed first in the nape after Game One of the finals.
“Hindi naman siguro ganun kataas ang penalties nyan, hindi naman tulad yan ng nambatok ka,” said Jao.
Salgado was meted lifetime ban for the unsportsmanlike conduct.
Jao said the incident between Capistrano and Racela may just be a case of "trash-talking."
“Like I said, I am not yet sure what really transpired. Baka parang kaunting trash-talking unless it was a belligerent stance or something like that, which I didn’t see,” he said.
“So I cannot talk about it now. I did not see. Pero nagulat talaga ako.”
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