NCAA body to inquire into brawl

One of the photos of the incident that went viral in the internet.

MANILA, Philippines—The NCAA formed an investigating committee Sunday as the league vowed a “transparent” and “democratic” resolution to Friday’s brawl involving the champion San Beda men’s basketball team and the San Sebastian women’s volleyball squad.

Dr. Ramon Cercado, the management committee (Mancom) chair, said he has tasked several school representatives to submit a report on the incident, where Lady Stags volleyball coach Roger Gorayeb emerged with a swollen and bruised face.

The Mancom will then decide on the sanctions that will be meted out on the coaches and players involved in the melee.

“To be fair to everyone involved, we have to follow certain procedures to resolve this issue,” Cercado said in a statement yesterday.

“We have to be transparent and as democratic as possible in dealing with this issue.”

The riot, which disrupted a women’s volleyball game, started when a San Sebastian men’s volleyball player allegedly insulted San Beda’s American cager Ola Adeogun with racial slurs.

Although San Sebastian claimed that no such incident happened, it prompted a verbal altercation between Gorayeb and San Beda coach Frankie Lim, which led to a full-blown melee involving their players at the San Beda gym.

San Beda official Jose Mari Lacson and San Sebastian representative Frank Gusi, both co-chair of the league’s volleyball tournament, will not be part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, action will resume today with high-flying Perpetual Help aiming to extend its three-game gun against Jose Rizal University and Lyceum battling winless Mapua in women’s action at the Letran gym.