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The Cuban forward Ysmael Romero, registered with FIBA using a "Puerto Rican passport," is awaiting a possible sanction after being involved in an altercation during the match between Al-Ahli Tripoli and Zamboanga Valientes at the Dubai International Basketball Championship.
According to the outlet El Calce, the incident occurred in the second quarter of the match, which took place early Wednesday morning (Puerto Rico time), when Romero reacted after a hard foul by Nick Demusis.
According to the account, the Cuban player approached his rival from the Al-Ahli Tripoli team and "delivered a couple of kicks to the face," an action that led to referee intervention.
After reviewing the play, the referees penalized Romero with a disqualifying foul, which meant his expulsion from the match.
The match continued without Romero and ended with a victory for Al-Ahli Tripoli. Despite being without their "big man," Al-Ahli Tripoli managed to maintain control of the game and won 110-103, according to the report.
In the offensive play of the Libyan team, Nasseim Badrush stood out with 37 points; Keron DeShields contributed 34 points, and former NBA player Emmanuel Mudiay added 25 points.
The text notes that, beyond the outcome, the incident opened a disciplinary outlook for Romero: the event organizers are considering additional sanctions, including the possibility of a permanent suspension, which could leave Al-Ahli Tripoli without an important interior player for the remainder of the tournament.
In October 2021, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) officially approved Romero Fernández's inclusion in the Puerto Rico team.
After a decade residing in that country, the basketball player also gained the approval of the Cuban Basketball Federation.
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