WITH the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Philsports Complex in Pasig likely unavailable for the remaining months of this year, the Philippine Sports Commission is looking for options where the Olympic qualifiers and hopefuls in combat sports can actually train in an isolated “bubble” environment.
A PSC insider said this is the quandary being faced by the five-man PSC board led by Chairman Butch Ramirez since both complexes remain as COVID-19 quarantine facilities and are expected to remain that way for the rest of the year while Metro Manila registers the highest rate of infections.
“The Ninoy Aquino at the RMSC and the Philsports Arena are still active COVID-19 facilities.
With the way the (virus) infections are rising and until there is no vaccine, early next year is the (earliest) possibility we can make both complexes available for the use of our national athletes,” the source said.
The Philsports Complex is also presently being fitted with new lights for the track oval.
The same source said Ramirez and Commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Celia Kiram and Arnold Agustin are scheduled to meet any time this week to address the issue involving the national athletes in the combat sports of boxing, taekwondo, karate and fencing.
