The final between Far Eastern University-Diliman and University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 86 Boys’ Football Tournament was a spectacle.
However, what transpired afterward was not a sight to behold.
During the post-game celebration of the Baby Tamaraws on Thursday evening, the livestream of the game caught FEU-D’s Bryan Villanueva making a gesture toward the stands but was then punched by UST’s keeper Ben Sabuga.
A day after the incident, the Junior Golden Booters released a statement condemning what happened.
“We do not condone these reactions by our players as we strongly believe that violence has no place in sports. But we also do not tolerate disrespect and rude behavior towards opponents, coaching staff, and supporters,” the statement read.
“If a spontaneous reaction of a UST player warrants criticism and discipline, it is also with more reason that a deliberate and shameless display of rudeness by this FEU player, who instigated this incident after all, should be equally condemned and addressed.”
The team was referring to what happened before the punch.
According to the account of the team, Villanueva threw taunts at UST’s side of the field that triggered Sabuga.
“However, we wanted to tell the story of what truly transpired during the game. At the final whistle of the championship game of the UAAP Season 86 Boys Football Tournament, a senior player from FEU, donning the captain’s armband charged toward UST’s technical area, hurling offensive taunts at their coaches, players, and supporters. He continued unchecked by anyone from FEU. The actions of this player have been captured and posted on social media,” the statement read.
“Unfortunately, some parts of these videos being circulated may have been spliced and only showed the reactions of some UST players.”
Still, UST will be punishing Sabuga.
“We embrace the fact that one of our members may have behaved in a way that did not align with the principles that guide our team. Our team’s culture is built on the spirit of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play, and some of our players may not have lived up to these expectations during that time,” the statement continued.
“We want to assure everyone that we are taking immediate action to address the situation internally. But in the spirit of fairness, we only asked for your consideration and understanding and look at the incident on both sides with objectivity and impartiality.”
