Officials of the Negros Occidental high school boys' baseball team may face sanctions from the Department of Education after fielding a player in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet in Roxas City who was not included in the initial line-up submitted to the WVRAA screening committee, DepEd regional director Victoriano Tirol said last night.

But Tirol said he is not yet ready to discuss the possible penalty against erring team officials, led by head coach Narciso Jayme from Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, pending a deeper investigation on the case.

The ineligible player was the trainer of the team and was allegedly "overaged" for the competition, a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the DAILY STAR.

The controversy erupted yesterday even as the Negros delegation arrived in Bacolod from Roxas City, where it emerged overall champion in both the elementary and secondary divisions in the five-day, six province Palaro that serves as a qualifier for the national Palaro in Naga City in May.

The source also said the baseball team had gone home ahead of the contingent.

She also said that, after news of the controversy broke out in the Negros delegation headquarters at the Manuel Roxas Elementary School Sunday night, the baseball team failed to return to their billeting quarters in the school.

The source said that Felipe Dumancas, the DepEd provincial school sports head, had no prior knowledge of the insertion of the ineligible player into the line-up in the semifinal game against Capiz.

Negros won the semifinal encounter but Capiz lodged a complaint before tournament officials, who later upheld the protest.

Tournament officials also decided that all games that Negros played were forfeited, paving the way for its last place finish among six teams in the tournament. Iloilo eventually won the title after beating Capiz, 8-1.*CPT

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