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UAAP chief Rebo Saguisag says Ateneo’s Kouame passes eligibility rule

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/tvpatrol/08/21/20190831-kouame.jpg"/><figcaption>Angelo Kouame played a big part in Ateneo Blue Eagles&#x27; title win last year. Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div><h3>Saguisag: Kouame’s eligibility approved by UAAP board</h3>UAAP executive-director Rebo Saguisag on Saturday said Ateneo de Manila center Angelo Kouame fulfilled league requirements that makes him eligible to play for the Blue Eagles.“If you’re a foreign student athlete and graduated in high school from a non-UAAP member school, then you have to sit out one year. ’Yan ang general rule,” Saguisag said.“Pero ’pag nakapag-spend ka ng one year here in the Philippines, then that already serves as your residency pwede ka nang direct play.”Kouame graduated from Multiple Intelligence International School in Quezon City in 2018 before playing for the Blue Eagles beginning the 2018 season.“If you studied high school here for one academic year and you graduated from high school anywhere in the Philippines and enrolled in a UAAP-member school in college, p’wede ka nang maglaro kaagad,” Saguisag said.The issue over Kouame’s playing status came up during a meeting of UAAP member schools this week, ABS-CBN News learned.According to Saguisag, there was “a presentation, a query” made into Kouame’s status, but there was “no formal complaint, or petition filed by a certain number of schools.”“Parang lumalabas kasi na parang maraming nagrereklamo. There was a query made during the board meeting last Thursday but it was only asked by a certain school for clarification,” Saguisag said.“It’s really blown out of proportion.”He added: “So I go back to my statement na walang formal complaint has reached my office for endorsement to the board of trustees.”Blue Eagles team manager Epok Quimpo said the issue is an “old story.”“Unfortunately while it’s rather obvious that someone released this to create some confusion, it is more disappointing to see how disrespectful people have become to the game,” Quimpo said.Saguisag added that Kouame’s status was fully approved by the board of trustees.“The eligibility committee only make recommendations and it is the whole board that approves it. Everything went above board naman based on rules that is approved by the board of trustees,” Saguisag said.“There’s no basis to say talaga na ngayon nagtatanong talaga ang a number of schools. Ano ’yun, nakalusot sa kanila for one year? And they come out with this allegation a night before we open (Sunday). I guess you can say the UAAP has already started.” — With a report from Dominic Menor, ABS-CBN News<div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</div>

UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag on Saturday said Blue Eagles center Angelo Kouame fulfilled league requirements that makes him eligible to play.

UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag on Saturday said Blue Eagles center Angelo Kouame fulfilled league requirements that makes him eligible to play.