It was reported by several sources that the East Asia Super League (EASL) has upheld Meralco’s 85-76 win over Taoyuan in Ilagan, Isabela, last 8 November even as the Bolts offered a rematch in the spirit of sportsmanship. The Taoyuan Pilots put the game under protest.
Under EASL rules, a team may enlist two world imports, a naturalized player and an Asian heritage recruit but only three are allowed to be on the court at the same time.
A misunderstanding of the rule led to Meralco leaving Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Ismael Romero, Sina Vahedi and Ange Kouame on the floor for 4:58 minutes in the first quarter and 4:22 minutes in the second. EASL noted that Meralco scored 22 points and Taoyuan 15 during the total 9:20 minutes that the four played together.
"I have spoken directly with coach Luigi (Trillo) and coach (Lurgi) Caminos, both of whom acknowledge that this was not an intentional act but rather an oversight by the FIBA game official who failed to recognize or enforce the rule at the moment," said EASL CEO Henry Kerins.
"Meralco has proactively offered to schedule a rematch against Taoyuan but considering the score differential, Taoyuan has expressed satisfaction with the outcome as it stood. We have also requested FIBA that we do not have the same game commissioner as the rules need to be enforced in real time during these games. I have personally spoken with FIBA to ensure they understand that EASL considers the incident in Isabela was unintentional and did not have a significant impact on the game. We are committed to supporting both teams while affirming that our games uphold fair play and sportsmanship standards. Our focus now is to resolve these issues swiftly, ensuring clarity and fairness on and off the court. We will continue to reinforce the importance of good sportsmanship and proper conduct to all our teams and officials."
Kerins, however, reprimanded Meralco for violations before and after the Bolts’ previous game against Taoyuan in Taipei and imposed fines. RHJ was meted a fine of US$ 1,000 for refusing to participate in a pre-game interview and another US$ 1,000 for failing to attend a post-game press conference.
Additionally, EASL fined Meralco coach Nenad Vucinic US$ 5,000 for gestures "in grave violation of sportsmanship and professional ethics." Vucinic was warned that a recurrence will mean an automatic two-game suspension.
Meralco’s EASL record is now 1-2 with its next game against Macau at the Cebu Coliseum on 15 November. "All proceeds from the game are matched by Cebu City and Cebu Governor for relief," said Kerins. EASL called it a "landmark night for the league (with) its first charity game for disaster relief... all ticket revenue will go directly to those affected by the earthquakes and flooding that hit Cebu."
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