Time to act is now

IT is no secret that cases of player-to-player relationships in women’s sport are rampant in many parts of the world, especially in America and Europe. First-world countries seem to treat it as common as coughing.

But not on our home shores. It is almost a tabooed topic. Over here, that issue—ticklish as it is—is not as open a discussion as when a celebrity couple breaks up as that becomes almost an automatic fodder for hot news. Only in whispers—loud or otherwise—do we learn of such trivialities transformed outright into screaming headlines.

Still, this fastidious fact is something that needs to be addressed seriously if only for the sole purpose of making a team highly competitive. Definitely, a team having players engaged in a player-to-player relationship can potentially cause problems.

Emotions among sweethearts can easily becloud reason. Disposition can be killed in an instant arising chiefly from relations gone awry.

A lover’s spat can destroy a team’s chemistry in the wink of an eye.

Recently, coach Emma Hayes of the US women’s national football team dropped a bomb. She said: “Player-to-player relationships on teams are inappropriate because they present extra challenges to manage.”

She aired her side when asked in a press conference in London about player safeguards in the context of reports in the British media. In an AP dispatch, this: “Leicester women’s manager coach Willie Kirk is being investigated by the club following an allegation of a player-coach relationship.” Leicester has rules against such relationship?

Said Hayes: “Player-coach relationships they’re inappropriate, player-to-player relationships are inappropriate…we’re now in a professional era when players and coaches should focus all their attention on having the top standards. Player-to-player relationships can be hard to navigate for a coach.”

She has a supremely valid point.

Our country has no law against player-to-player relationships, let alone a coach-player relationship. Anti-human rights?

But if a team owner imposes a rule discouraging it, is he/ she justified?

My lips are sealed—for now.

THAT’S IT Eumir Marcial’s fourth-round knockout win last weekend over a Thai foe made him unbeaten in five professional fights. More importantly, that augurs well in his bid to win the elusive gold in the Paris Olympics in July-august...team Mark’s Robert Bolick’s five-point feat in the Bacolod All-star on Sunday that forced a 140-all ending between Team Mark and Team Japeth will easily enter the record books as the “Play of the Year” or, if you will, the “Play of the Decade.” Cheers!... Happy Easter!