Negros Occidental to appeal forfeit ruling in football competition

By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr.

According to Negros Occidental secondary boys’ football team coach Ian Combate, they will be appealing the decision that forced the team to forfeit their final match of the 2018 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet, which ended last month in Iloilo City.

Iloilo took the championship in a walkover.

The Negrense side was forced to withdraw after Combate, assistant coach Florence Panogaling, and four of their players were suspended following a fight that took place prior to the finals.

“Football rules state a team can’t play without a coach,” explained Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Negros Occidental Sports Coordinator Romeo Sison.

In a recent interview with RMN Sports, Combate called the decision “unfair” and claimed the fight with referee Steve Supresencia was sparked after the latter allegedly head-butted the Negrense coach.

Combate said, if the ruling is in their favor, they would like to have a rematch of the final and would prefer match officials not be from either Iloilo or Negros Occidental.

Supresencia was from Iloilo.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and the Bacolod City government endorsed the plan to appeal./JSG, WDJ