After a difficult campaign that saw them fail to make the Final Four in the UAAP Season 76 tournament, the management of the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors is hoping to see reforms in the collegiate league next year.
The Red Warriors entered the season as a contender after winning the FilOil tournament in the pre-season, but stumbled out of the gate.
They also had to deal with suspensions to their key players, including big man Charles Mammie and guards Lord Casajeros and Ralf Olivares.
After UE ended their season with a 76-73 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP), Red Warriors team manager Jesus Tanchanco Jr. made an impassioned plea for reforms in the UAAP.
“I hope that the UAAP can do some more reforms, so that instead of developing hatred among the players, we have to show love,” he said. “The UAAP is not there for us to be enemies.”
“The UAAP is there for us to be closer together, to play together, and sportsmanship should always be the main objective,” he stressed.
As next year’s hosts, UE is targeting a “bigger, more successful UAAP,” where “love should be the one that will prevail, and not hate,” says Tanchonco.
“Kailangan magkaroon tayo ng pagkakaisa, pagmamahalan. ‘Yan ang dapat,” he said. “Greatness will continue, and we will continue greatness in the coming years.”
When asked if UE, as next season’s hosts, plans to initiate the reforms in the league, Tanchanco answered: “Well, this will be up to the officials of the UAAP. We are just one, and there are eight members.”
Meanwhile, Red Warriors assistant coach Bai Cristobal is hoping for a more consistent implementation of UAAP rules next year, and believes UE can play a role in making this possible.
“If there is really a guideline of the rules, I hope the rules will not bend for whoever, and a rule will always be a rule,” Cristobal said. “Next year, UE will be the host, maybe we can give some input on guidelines, lalo na sa pag-suspend ng players.”
Cristobal also wants clarification on the extent of the authority of the UAAP Commissioner.
“Whenever there is a rule, the rules should always prevail,” Cristobal said. “We will just go to the rules. We should be on one page, according to the rules.”
Tanchonco said the upcoming meeting among the presidents of the UAAP member schools will go a long way in helping the growth of the league.
“I understand there will be a meeting of the presidents of the different universities,” he said. “That’s a good sign that they would like to try to strengthen and make the UAAP a bigger league next year.”
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