La Salle head coach Topex Robinson urged the UAAP to reconsider the three-game suspension to UE’s Wello Lingolingo for his unsportsmanlike foul on Kean Baclaan.
La Salle head coach Topex Robinson urged the UAAP to reconsider the penalty to UE guard Wello Lingolingo, who received a three-game suspension following a play that led to Kean Baclaan’s season-ending MCL injury.
“Sana mabigyan pa siya ng chance na makabalik nang mas maaga because three games is gonna be huge for him,” Robinson said after La Salle’s 72-69 win over defending champion UP to end the first round of UAAP Season 88 on Sunday.
Lingolingo accidentally collided with Baclaan’s right knee while diving for a loose ball last week, causing the same injury that Mason Amos sustained during La Salle's October 12 loss to league-leader NU.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: UE’s Wello Lingolingo slapped with 3-game suspension on foul vs DLSU’s Kean Baclaan]
The UE guard has already begun serving his suspension as the Red Warriors dropped their seventh straight game, a 95–76 loss to FEU on Sunday.
Call for change of heart
While Robinson did not dispute that the sanction was warranted, he appealed to the league's compassion.
“The coach, the competitor in me, obviously believes he deserves to get suspended. But the father in me is appealing to the committee to lower the number of games because he’s not really a bad player. Those incidents really happen,” the champion coach said.
[ALSO READ: No 'victim' card for coach Topex Robinson, La Salle despite enduring key injuries in UAAP Season 88]
Robinson even shared that Baclaan felt sorry for Lingolingo, recognizing the weight of the sanction for what was basically an unintentional play.
[ALSO READ: La Salle’s Kean Baclaan bears no ill will vs UE’s Wello Lingolingo despite injury in UAAP]
“I know he made his mistake, and I hope he’ll be given a chance to have his suspension reduced because I know how hard it’s gonna be for him.”
Lingolingo’s suspension came in the same week UE head coach Chris Gavina received a four-game ban for his fiery postgame rant towards the officiating in the Red Warriors' 111-110 overtime loss to DLSU last October 15.
[ALSO READ: UE’s Chris Gavina ‘extremely apologetic’ after tirade vs UAAP officiating]
Still, Robinson and the Green Archers are choosing empathy over frustration.
“We already lost our player; we don’t wanna lose other players for other teams because ang hirap. It’s hard for me to lose Kean and Mason, but I know how also hard it is for Wello," coach Topex said.
"So hopefully, he will be given at least a fair share of suspension."
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.