Amores: Basketball return ‘a Christmas gift from God’

IT looks like former Jose Rizal University forward John Amores has something to celebrate this Christmas.

Suspended JRU player Amores said that his return to the court would be the “best Christmas gift” he would receive this Christmas.

Amores was given a second chance in his basketball career when he joined the Zamboanga Valientes in December.

“The best gift that I will receive [this Christmas] is that I will return to playing basketball; that is the number one thing that I am grateful for and that I received as a gift from God,” he said in an interview with veteran sports journalist Chino Trinidad.

“God gave it, no one else,” he added.

Zamboanga Valientes is slated to compete in the ASEAN Basketball League Invitational in 2023.

In November, following Amores’ skirmish with players from the De La Salle College of St. Benilde, the JRU and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced his indefinite suspension from participating in collegiate athletics.

The NCAA Management Committee suspended the Heavy Bombers’ Amores for the following acts:

Intentionally bumping the referee.
Pointing a finger at the referee.
Disrespecting ManCom and other court officials.
Charging towards the bench of CSB that ignited a brawl.
Making infuriating gestures meant to stimulate a fight or brawl.
Throwing punches against four CSB Blazers players.

In a separate decision, JRU said it had accepted the verdict made by the athletics commission. However, the university announced that it would undertake a separate internal investigation of the event. This investigation would be “separate from any decision that the NCAA Management Committee may have.”

A week after the school system’s inquiry, JRU officially removed Amores from the school’s basketball team and ordered him to do community service as part of the university-imposed sanctions.

The university also said all privileges extended to Amores as a student-athlete have been canceled. He was also suspended from his classes, but the statement said nothing about the duration of the suspension.

Prior to his enlistment at the Zamboanga Valientes, Amores said he had received “words of encouragement” from Vice President Sara Duterte and that he “has a friend from the Office of the Vice President.”

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Courtesy: John Amores, Instagram

Jericho Zafra

Jericho has written for various national and international publications in print and online. He also specializes in journalism research particularly gender and religion.