TAKE it from La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren: game-fixing issues are exasperating.
“It’s just frustrating. The time and the effort to come out with a plan to win will just go down the drain,” Pumaren told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday.
“You expect players to play 100 percent all the time and for all you know they have a hidden agenda,” he added.
Nearly two years ago, Pumaren, then calling the shots for Centro Escolar University in the PBA D-League, faced the nightmare of dealing with players allegedly involved in game-fixing.
Booted out of the Scorpions were Judel Fuentes, Keanu Caballero, Christian Uri, Pierce Chan, Jan Formento, John Rojas, and John Lisbo.
In a Cinderella story of sorts, despite playing with only seven players, CEU reached the finals of the Aspirant’s Cup but fell to fancied Cignal-Ateneo in four games.
Game-fixing accusations surfaced anew after a controversial match between ARQ Builders-Lapu Lapu City and Siquijor in the new pro league Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup last April 14.
“It is just sad that people have no respect for the game. Imagine that they are the only league playing right now where teams and players are aching to play and in return this is what they will do to the game that we love and respect,” Pumaren said.
“They have no business playing the game.”
