Young Fil-Am basketball player assaulted during Bay Area game
Screencap/ABC7
SAN FRANCISCO – Police are investigating the assault on a young Filipino American basketball player that was captured on camera during a recent game at the College of Alameda in Alameda, California.
The assault happened during a game between Fil-Am youth basketball team, Tumakbo United, and Payton’s Place on Sunday. The video shows a 13-year-old Payton’s Place player stomping on the Fil-Am teen, identified as the son of Eva and Roderick Guingab.
The Fil-Am couple has filed a formal report, prompting authorities to investigate the incident.
Guingab caught the ball, which a player from Payton’s Place tried to grab from him. A scuffle ensued as the two players wrestle for the ball. Another opposing player then came over and stomped on Guingab’s head while he was on the ground.
Eva Guingab told ABC7 that her son suffered a concussion. “You could clearly see the size of (the attacker’s) shoe on his face,” she said.
“If we don’t say anything right now, this kid will think it’s OK to do it because he’s young. He thinks that walking away from this situation is OK, and it’s not OK,” Guingab added.
The family of the boy who attacked Guingab said he was standing up for his teammate he believed was kicked and punched during the scuffle.
“I think everyone was just in shock. I think we all kind of went on the court and went to the coach of the other team to say, ‘What just happened? What’s going on?'” said Michael Tolentino, who coaches Tumakbo United, a Fil-Am youth team based in the Bay Area with members from across the US.
“There is footage circulating of one of our team’s games this past weekend. Unfortunately, the footage is not a positive representation of our team and our values,” Payton’s Place posted on Instagram.
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“The behavior that was exhibited by our player is not acceptable, and is being taken seriously. We do not condone violence. Our players are expected to conduct themselves with integrity on and off the court. At this time, both teams are working together to resolve this matter.”
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