Officials of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) led by commissioner Felix "Boy" O. Tiukinhoy, Jr. underwent mandatory drug testing yesterday, serving a strong notice that they are dead serious in the implementation of the said ground-breaking policy this season.
Aside from Tiukinhoy, technical committee chief Danny Duran, all the CESAFI pool of referees and table officials also subjected themselves to a compulsory drug test held at LH Prime diagnostics center along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City.
"We want to set a good example. We are also doing this to show to everyone that we are very serious in the drug testing policy that we will be enforcing this season," said Tiukinhoy.
In an unprecedented move in Cebu sports, the CESAFI will implement a mandatory drug test for all collegiate basketball players who are qualified to see action in the league's 13th season set to take off on August 3 at the Cebu Coliseum.
Tiukinhoy said they are doing it to preserve the clean image and protect the integrity of the league. The concerned schools need not worry about the expenses that will be incurred in going through such process as the league will pay for its actual costs.
Tiukinhoy said those who will be tested positive of taking any prohibited drugs will be meted with indifinite suspension. If confirmatory tests would yield the same results, those erring players will be banned for in all CESAFI-sanctioned tournaments.
On the other hand, the CESAFI is coming up with novel ideas in an effort to make the keenly-awaited CESAFI Season 13 livelier, more exciting and mouth-watering to fans.
These include cheering squads for every team and the playing of school hymns or alma mater song of the winning squad after each game.
Also, the CESAFI considers adding gold and weightlifting to its calendar of events this year.
As of now, the CESAFI covers 16 sporting disciplines bannered by the centerpiece men's basketball event.
The rest are athletics, swimming, chess, gymnastics, lawn tennis, table tennis, sepak takraw, badminton, beach volley, volleyball, taekwondo, karatedo, football, dancesport, and scrabble.