Adamson University Falcons head coach Nash Racela has spoken out against the growing issue of player piracy in collegiate basketball, expressing concern over its impact on the sport’s integrity.
In an interview with Abante Sports Now, Racela said questionable recruitment practices have become increasingly rampant, putting the league’s reputation at risk.
“Hindi maganda. Actually ‘yung piracy ng mga players only because hindi maganda ‘yung approach nila nuh o ‘yung pamamaraan ng pangunguha ng players,” Racela said.
He noted, however, that more coaches and schools are now openly condemning aggressive efforts to poach players from other programs.
“Lately marami na ring tao ang nagiging against diyan, even the UAAP is trying to do its part on discouraging piracy ng players,” he added.
While acknowledging that recruitment is part of collegiate sports, Racela emphasized that there is a fine line between fair competition and unethical poaching.
The UAAP board has been taking steps to tighten regulations on player transfers, including measures that reduce the playing eligibility of athletes moving from one UAAP school to another.
“Hopefully, hindi kasi nababago ‘yan, but hopefully things will change eventually,” Racela said.
The Adamson coach’s comments come as collegiate basketball grows more competitive, with programs investing heavily in talent acquisition to gain an edge.
📽️ Watch Racela’s full interview here.
