Samsam Gullas tells Aguara: ‘Prove your worth’

CEBU, Philippines - "Prove your worth."

This was the short, but sharp advice of University of the Visayas basketball team manager Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas, Jr. to their estranged Nigerian player Jeffakins Aguara if he wants to be a Green Lancer again.

Aguara and his teammate Franz Arong were banished by Gullas for the rest of the 14th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. season after they figured in a heated on-court altercation that put the Green Lancers - a highly respectable institution with a colorful and storied history in the local cagedom - in bad light.

In an unfortunate incident that added pain to their season-ending 61-67 loss to the University of San Carlos Warriors last September 13 at the Cebu Coliseum, Aguara and Arong nearly come to blows. The hardcourt fracas broke out right after USC's Shooster Olago scored on an easy two-handed slam that ensured the Warriors' victory with only 35 seconds left to play. A visibly displeased Arong immediately confronted Aguara for allowing Olago to make that dunk without a challenge.

Aguara, however, reacted violently on Arong's actuations resulting into a near fistfight. The tension was only diffused when the proverbial cooler heads intervened, with Aguara being neck-locked by former champion Lancer Gary Cortes and Arong being herded by the rest of the coaching staff to their bench.

After looking at all the consequences surrounding the event, Gullas and the rest of the UV coaching decided to suspend both players for the remainer for the year.

But a few days after the decision was handed down, Aguara pleaded for a second chance and even met with Gullas to personally say sorry and express his desire to wear the Green Lancers uniform anew.

"I met  him (Aguara) just two days ago. He told me he was very sorry for his actuations and that he is willing to change his attitude and adhere to the core values that the Green Lancers have reflected through the years," said Gullas in a press conference yesterday. "He even handed me a letter of apology but when I read it, it seems that he's not apologetic at all. He cited so many reasons and excuses that doesn't bode well for the team. He keeps on blaming his teammates for his actions that disappointed me more. As our import, he should be the one who will take us to the promised land but it's the other way around."

Gullas said what happened during that forgettable night was the 'culmination' of all the disagreements Aguara had with the rest of his teammates.

"I had a heart to heart talk with the rest of the team and all of them dislike Aguara. Imagine 14 against 1, there's really something wrong with  him, "said Gullas.

"I didn't tell him in the face what our next move would be, but I already told coach (Donbel Belano) to place Aguara in our Team B. He should work hard and make some sacrifices, like waking up early for an early morning practice at 4 a.m., if he really wants a spot back to our team.  He should prove that he's worthy to be a Green Lancer again. If he can do that, then maybe we will reconsider our decision by next year. For now, we will look at first the benefit of the whole team rather than the concession of one player," added the young Cebuano congressman. (FREEMAN)