Regional director Robery Uy of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas yesterday expressed hopes that the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural and Educational Association settle soon the disagreement over its men’s basketball championship series involving West Negros University and University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.

The Iloilo City-based Uy, who was in Bacolod City yesterday on a business trip, said he was aware of the issue but stressed that the SBP can not intervene in it.

“It is an internal matter and my office can not intervene. I can only hope that all parties concerned will be able to come up with a win-win solution soon,” Uy said.

As to the issue raised by some NOPSSCEA-member schools over the SBP referees tapped to officiate in the league, Uy said it is the prerogative of the NOPSSCEA to choose the referees, although, most of the game officials in Negros Occidental are accredited with the SBP.

He said that in Iloilo the Iloilo Schools Sports Association is maintaining a pool of referees that is a mixture of SBP-accredited and non-accredited members.

Meanwhile, Uy said ISSA will send the University of Iloilo Wildcats to the Philippine Collegiate Championships League regionals in Dumaguete on Oct. 14-16.

He said he is not sure if the NOPSSCEA has any commitment to send a team to represent the league in the PCCL as he has yet to check if the tournament is sanctioned by the SBP.

Earlier, UNO-R had filed a petition to the NOPSSCEA Board to lift the Game 2 forfeiture issued by the tournament officials against the Rams after they failed to show up for the second game of their best-of-three final series against defending champion WNU Mustangs.

UNO-R cited the academic demands on their student-athletes that will not permit them to play on a middle-of-the-week day. Game 2 was scheduled on Oct. 3, a Wednesday.

NOPSSCEA basketball officials, however, said the school was informed about the schedule ahead and they should have raised their complaint before then.

WNU was leading in the series after it won Game 1, 78-77.

To resolve the issue, NOPSSCEA has created a seven-man Jury of Appeals, but the body has yet to convene and come up with a decision.*NAB

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