"No Racial Slur Uttered" - NCAA MANCOM

No racial slur.

This was the result of the investigation done by the NCAA Management Committee on the brawl that happened during a volleyball game at San Beda's St. Placid Gym in Mendiola, Manila last December.

Although admitting that the word unggoy, a Filipino word meaning monkey, may have been mentioned, Mancom chair Dr. Ramon Cercado clarified there was no malicious intent to racially discriminate San Beda's Nigerian center Olaide Adeogun.

"That word they're saying a racial slur was just part of the chant of some teams," said Cercado in today’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey's on UN Avenue in Manila.

"It just happened that during the time they were humming that chant, he (Adeogun) was just there.

"But our findings showed that there were no slurs. The word unggoy might have been uttered but it was not directed to the person with an intention of degrading a person, not that sort. I believe it was misinterpretation on the part of Olaide on the word that started it all," he added.

Ironically, the word Adeogun overheard triggered a melee involving San Beda basketball coach Frankie Lim, a member of his coaching staff and several of his players and San Sebastian volley mentor Roger Gorayeb.

Lim, who has steered the Lions to five straight finals appearances including four titles, and Gorayeb, who has been with the Stags' volleyball program for three decades now, were eventually banned for two years starting in Season 88 this June.

Both San Beda and San Sebastian are expected to challenge the NCAA verdict.

source: Philstar