MPBL slaps indefinite suspension on Germy Mahinay

Germy Mahinay was suspended indefinitely for his disqualifying foul on Joey Barcuma. MPBL (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--The MPBL dropped the hammer on Negros center Germy Mahinay after a hard foul on Zamboanga's Joey Barcuma during their Monday night game at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan.

The league slapped an indefinite suspension on Mahinay as his foul on Barcuma, which was ruled a disqualifying foul, did not sit well with some people inside the venue or watching on TV and live streams.

The six-foot-seven bruiser tried to stop Barcuma's layup attempt with 8:37 left in the game and Zamboanga already up big.

Barcuma, however, had a bad fall after the foul, in which Mahinay appeared to have extended his leg that led to the fall, and Jayvee Marcelino confronted Mahinay about it afterward.

Some members of the Zamboanga coaching staff also fumed about Mahinay's hard foul before the cooler heads prevailed in pacifying the situation.

Aside from missing many games or probably the rest of the season unless the league decides to lift the ban sooner, Mahinay was also fined PHP100,000.

"This outcome takes into account the dangerous nature of the play, as well as Mahinay's reaction immediately after the deplorable act," the MPBL said in a statement.

This is not the first time a player was indefinitely suspended in a Filipino professional league.

In recent memory, Calvin Abueva suffered a similar fate in the PBA in 2019 after a clothesline foul on Terrence Jones.

The ban lasted 16 months before he was cleared to return during the 2020 season bubble in Angeles.

Assuming the Games and Amusements Board intervenes, Mahinay, a rookie center following a recent stint with National University in the UAAP, might need to take a similar process as to how Abueva was reinstated for him to get back into pro basketball action.

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