UNIVERSITY of the East head coach Jumbo Dimaculangan didn’t mince words over what turned into a cascade of challenges in their straight-sets loss to University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.
READ: UST keeps gaining steam for playoff push after sweep of UE
In the opening frame alone, Dimaculangan was forced to call four coach's challenges on decisions initially ruled against the Lady Warriors.
Three of those ultimately went in their favor, with a net touch and two over-reaching calls decided on Golden Tigresses Reg Jurado, Cassie Carballo, and Avril Bron after review.
In other words, in Set 1 alone, the red-and-white's mentor was thrice correct in claiming that referees' calls - or non-calls, for that matter - were incorrect.
“To be honest, good thing na may challenge,” Dimaculangan told SPIN.ph post-game, while also first crediting UST for the win.
“For me, in my honest opinion, kailangan mag-improve ng officiating. First set, ang score lang is 10-5, and then we already had like how many challenges.
“To improve the quality of the game lang. Mas maganda kung mas maangat lang ‘yung officiating.”
Dimaculangan also pointed to a specific infraction he felt was inconsistently called.
“During the match, dapat kasi kami, ‘yung mga ganun (errors), hindi na namin siya iko-call (ng challenge),” he said.
“Katulad ng screening, it was talked about na we already informed the first referee, pero ganun pa rin. So parang anong nangyayari? Bakit ayaw mong tawagan? Tinawagan niya, pero latter part na ng match during the third set nung tinawagan niya lang si Blessing [Unekwe], I think, nung illegal screening.
“Kami naman, ganun talaga. Wala naman tayong magagawa kapag natawag na ng referee, but I just hope na mag-improve lang.”
For the betterment of the UAAP
The returning UE coach added that the issue goes beyond a single game, noting similar inconsistencies across the league throughout the tournament - even as he also acknowledged that officiating will never be perfect.
“Hindi naman natin ma-expect na maging perfect talaga ‘yung officiating every match. Pero ‘yun nga, maganda na may challenge, but kapag kasi ‘yung challenge, ganun na karami, ibig sabihin din na ang magiging downside du’n, there is something wrong na rin, or (there are) opportunities na kailangan i-work on,” he said.
As such, Dimaculangan hopes for more consistent dialogue between coaches and game officials moving forward for the greater good of the league.
“Kami naman, kaming coaches, we're willing to help din the referees para maangat kasi pare-parehas naman ng goal to improve and for the betterment of UAAP din and the entire tournament,” he said.
“If may chance, mag-work kami hand-in-hand din para naiintindihan din namin where they are coming from, bakit hindi nila tinatawagan, ‘yung mga ganun.
“Pero it's still part of the game. Ganun talaga eh. It's a reality na may human errors, na wala naman magiging perfect.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
