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| Caloocan is risking a forfeiture of its crucial game in Polomolok against Biñan. MPBL (file photo) |
MANILA—The special MPBL Saturday night spectacle at the Polomolok Gymnasium in South Cotabato could go down to only one game as Caloocan missed the flight going there.
People knowledgeable about the situation confirmed to Dugout Philippines on Friday that no one from the Batang Kankaloo camp was present on its scheduled plane ride to General Santos, where they would be immediately transported to Polomolok by land once the plane arrived.
"Di sumipot sa flight," one source said.
A couple more insiders said that there was an intention from the Batang Kankaloo not to play in Metro GenSan following what happened in their Aug. 11 loss to the Warriors at their home, the Caloocan Sports Complex.
One of them said that the team management, led by city congressman Oca Malapitan, fumed about the officiating in that game.
Caloocan still got to play one more game at home, beating Pasig 96-87 on Aug. 27.
The designation of the Batang Kankaloo, Warriors, Biñan Tatak Gel, and Quezon Huskers as the teams to play in Polomolok was cast in stone before Caloocan and GenSan faced off.
However, nearly a month after the hotly contested game, the Batang Kankaloo apparently remain upset about what transpired back then.
A league official said that the MPBL will still wait for Caloocan's plan of action before it can act on the status of its game against Biñan.
The official said that as it stands, the game remains a go as scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday.
With that said, the Batang Kankaloo are risking a forfeiture of the said showdown if they indeed decide not to go to Polomolok at all, which could significantly hurt their chances of getting a higher seed in the playoffs.
Caloocan (18-3) is two and a half games behind Abra (22-2) in the race for the top seed in the North Division, but the former can dictate its fate as it has three matches at hand.
After playing the Tatak Gel, the Batang Kankaloo will take on the Weavers on Thursday night at the former's turf, the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan.
Caloocan is scheduled to host Batangas City on Sept. 15 before capping its regular season against Zamboanga the following Tuesday, the final day of the preliminary phase, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.
If the game between the Batang Kankaloo and Tatak Gel will indeed be called off, only the Warriors' home stand against the Huskers will take place at the Polomolok Gymnasium.
Quezon holds the best record in the South Division based on winning rate at 16-3, but a loss to GenSan, 1.5 games behind at 15-5, will significantly shake up the race for the top seed in the said conference.
In a unique setup already seen in some Rizal home games at the One Arena in Cainta, the Quezon-GenSan game, despite being the latter's home stand, will be the first game of the scheduled doubleheader followed by the Caloocan-Biñan clash assuming it will still push through.
The MPBL moved the Warriors' home game to Polomolok as part of the town's ongoing fiesta.
