Coaches hit NC ban, call it 'malicious'

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda coach Frankie Lim and San Sebastian volley mentor Roger Gorayeb yesterday hit the NCAA Policy Board’s decision for banning them for two seasons, saying the verdict was malicious, exaggerated and unfair.

“The sanctions given were unthinkable, exaggerated and full of malicious intent, it seems to me there’s a concentrated effort to bring San Beda down,” Lim yesterday told The STAR. “It is unfair to both coaches to be deprived of their right to earn a decent living and unfair to my players who did nothing and got suspended.

“There were only three things I did, protect my school, defend my player who was subjected to a racial slur, and lastly, defend myself. Now, does that merit a two-year suspension?” he added.

“I’m surprised with the sanction the NCAA slapped on me, I was there as a coach of an official NCAA game and I was just defending myself from their assault, why gave me the same penalty,” said Gorayeb in Filipino.

“It’s funny, they penalized (Dave) Marcelo even though he will not play anymore in the coming season. They were the ones who entered the court and hurt me, why the same penalty as Frankie Lim?

“It took them three months to come up with this unfair decision, this is a bad precedent,” he added.

Lim also suspects that the Policy Board had been fed by wrong information since the decision was based on the recommendation of the Management Committee that investigated the incident.

“Perhaps the Policy Board was misinformed about the truth of the incident otherwise they would not come down hard,” said Lim.

“It is my hope that the policy board would consider a non-partisan committee to investigate the incident and to come out with a fair and impartial decision,” he added.

Despite the decision, Lim, who steered the Lions to five straight championship appearances, winning four titles, and Gorayeb, who has been with the SSC volley program for almost three decades now, thanked their school for standing by them.

“I wish to thank the whole San Beda community for their prayers and overwhelming support,” said Lim.

“I asked them what’s my status with the school and they say I’m still there coach and I thank them for supporting me all the way,” said Gorayeb, who will train the team but will not sit during game time if the suspension is upheld.

San Beda and San Sebastian expected to challenge the verdict as a result of a brawl involving the two coaches and several players during a women’s volley game at San Beda’s St. Placid Gym in Mendiola last December.

San Beda’s Nigerian center Olaide Adeogun, set to play next season after years of residency, and Julius Armon were also banned from entering any NCAA venue next year for their involvement in the fracas.

San Beda’s Kyle Pascual, Jake Pascual, Jaypee Mendoza, Rysie Koga, Rome dela Rosa, Jose Carmelo Lim, Sudan Daniel, Mar Villahermosa, Baser Amer and Antonio Caram were also slapped one-game suspension each for entering the court during the fight.

Marcelo, for his part, was slapped an eight-game suspension – three “for instigating a fight/brawl,” another three games for participating in the fight and two more for forcibly entering the court and disrupting play. 

Garvo Lanete was also suspended for one game for also entering the court.

The sanctions on Marcelo and Lanete, however, might just be changed to fines since both had played their fifth and last season and will no longer see action in the upcoming season.

Ed Cordero, a member of Lim’s coaching staff, will be suspended for one game for forcibly entering the game and another one for disrupting the ongoing volleyball match during the incident.