Basketball organizer Tanny Gonzales, the acting vice president of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP),said there is a need to amend or revise the residency rule of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. in order to prevent a CESAFI player from transferring to another CESAFI member school.
This was the reaction of Gonzales when asked whether 19-year-old, 6-foot-11 Fil-Am Gregory Slaughter has violated the rule since it was earlier announced he was interested to enroll at the University of Cebu, but eventually ended up at the University of the Visayas.
The fact that the CESAFI has not even started, Gonzales viewed it as a legitimate move especially if the rule of residency is silent on that.
Gonzales cited the importance to re-impose the two-year residency rule to discourage or to avoid any player from transferring even if he is not coming from a CESAFI member school.
In the case of giving allowances to the player, Gonzales said it can never be prevented because it is the prerogative of the concerned school. He said that it is even practiced in the UAAP and in the NCAA.
CESAFI commissioner Felix O. Tiukinhoy, Jr. recalled that there was once a two-year residency rule, but the CESAFI board amended it to just one year because two years will be a long wait for a player to be allowed to play.
According to Gonzales, if the two-year residency rule is being observed, that can help prevent an exodus of players.
“Kung ang isang player bigyan mo ng two-year residency, takot nang lilipat yan kasi masyadong matagal ang two years para sa kanya,” said Gonzales.
Meanwhile, in his message during the coaches and referees seminar last Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum, Gonzales said the secret formula of winning is to religiously observe the keyword CHAMPIONS, which means C for communication, H for honesty, A for attitude, M for motivator, P is for Punctuality, I is for intensity, O is for organize, N is for no-nonsense and S is for sacrifice. (GGM)