TURNS out, Chris Gavina’s penalty was already appealed.
SPIN.ph sources bared that the UAAP Board of Managing Directors originally meted out a five-game suspension to the University of the East head coach for his “unprofessional conduct toward the game officials.”
READ: Gavina joins Lingolingo as banned Red Warriors in UE's next games
Gavina lambasted referees Ralph Moreto, Roselle Ponting, and Jong Banayat after UE’s 111-110 overtime loss to La Salle last Wednesday when he said: “I hope these three referees never (expletive) ref again in any of our games."
That was just one of the few curses he threw in a fiery post-game press conference, as he expressed his displeasure at game officials.
Though he apologized, the first-year mentor was made to explain his side to the BMD before ultimately being levied with the disciplinary action.
UE, however, lodged an appeal to the BMD leading to the one-game reduction of the ban to just four games, which the league announced on Saturday evening.
Gavina will serve the first of his suspensions on Sunday when the Red Warriors play Far Eastern University at Smart Araneta Coliseum to end the first round. He is also set to miss the next three games to start the second round tipping off next week.
Previous reduction of suspension
Curiously, this is the longest ban that the UAAP has served since then-University of the Philippines head coach Bo Perasol was handed a three-game suspension for charging at referee Jaime Rivano during the Fighting Maroons’ game against Ateneo on Oct. 29, 2019 back in Season 82.
The UAAP, however, later reduced that disciplinary action to just two games.
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