A P75,000 fine and a one-game suspension have been imposed on Marikina head coach Elvis Tolentino after hitting his player Felipe Chavez in a viral video, said the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Tuesday.
MPBL deemed his actions, which happened during their game against Pasig City on June 27, as ‘conduct unbecoming of a head coach’.
“The league declared that Tolentino’s actions of inflicting physical harm on a player is conduct unbecoming of a professional basketball coach,” the statement said.
During the game, wherein Marikina was down 71-66 with 14.7 seconds left remaining, Tolentino was caught on camera hitting Chavez on the player’s chest after a turnover.
“We would like to reiterate our commitment to fostering a positive and safe environment that is free from violence and conducive to fair play, respect, and sportsmanship for all players, coaches, and staff members during every game and every event,” MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes added in the statement.
The Games and Amusement Board also previously got into the incident last week, stating that they are also set to investigate the situation.
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