The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League meted a heavy punishment for Gensan Warriors’ Michole Sorela for a punch that sent Mindoro Tamaraws' Jonas Tibayan to the hospital.
The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) meted a lifetime ban and a hefty fine on Gensan Warriors player Michole Sorela after he punched Mindoro Tamaraws’ Jonas Tibayan during a regular season game on Monday at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Sorela had hit Tibayan on the face with a right hand as they were moving for position, which left Tibayan with numerous injuries that included a concussion, and a broken jaw.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the MPBL placed the stiff sanctions.
“We condemn the incident and the MPBL won’t tolerate such actions. It compromises the player’s safety and taints the league’s image,” said MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.
The league also imposed a P200,000 fine on Sorela.
Duremdes, who was a great in the PBA, called what happened “deplorable”.
“I’ve seen the worst (in basketball) and this is one of them. The league has the full authority to impose sanctions on this deplorable behavior,” he said.
The Gensan Warriors also released their own statement on the incident.
“We emphasize that such conduct is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our team, our organization, or the sport of basketball,” they said.
“Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with league rules and internal team policies. We remain committed to upholding sportsmanship, respect, and fair play at all times,” they added.
Mindoro won, 76-72, to improve their record to 13-10. They are behind Gensan’s 13-9 in the elimination phase of the 30-team field.
The Tamaraws return to action on August 26 against the Abra Weavers, while Gensan will have to deal with the repurcussions of Sorela’s actions when they return on August 15 against the Bacolod Tubo Slashers.