ONE of the top backers of the National University Lady Bulldogs women's basketball program believes the season-long suspension meted out by the UAAP to deputy coach Paul Du was just too much.
Ever Bilena CEO and president Dioceldo Sy said suspending Du for the ‘forceful elbow’ to UST counterpart Arsenio Dysangco after the Lady Tigers' 90-66 win on Saturday during the women’s basketball tournament was understandable.
But banning the NU assistant coach for the rest of Season 89 is unfair, according to Sy, whose company has been backing the most successful women’s collegiate basketball program in the country for more than a decade now.
COLUMN: Dysangco hopes Paul Du won't lose job over UAAP commotion
“A game or two (suspension) is fine. But the [a suspension for the] whole season is a misjudgement,” said Dy just before Blackwater’s PBA Governors’ Cup game against Meralco on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Blackwater is a sister company of Ever Bilena.
The suspension covers all basketball-related activities, both 5-on-5 and 3x3 in both divisions.
NU has appealed the suspension and the issue will be tackled by the UAAP Board this week.
Curiously, Dysangco and Du, a former UP Fighting Maroon who played briefly in the PBA, were teammates at UNO High and suited up together in the Tiong Lian basketball tournament.
“Emotions were obviously high during the game,” noted Sy of the seething rivalry between the two powerhouse teams in women’s basketball.
“The act (nudge) may be uncalled for, but I believe the decision was too harsh.”
Following the hit by Du, Dysangco fell on the floor, and was later brought out of the Big Dome on a wheelchair.
There’s no update yet on the health issue of the UST deputy afterwards.
Sy said the push may have caused Dysangco to lose his balance and fall, but doesn’t see anything serious – at least based on video footages – that would put the assistant coach on a wheelchair.
The win kept the Lady Tigeresses record perfect at 3-0, while the Lady Bulldogs fell at 2-1.
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