DENIED an opportunity to practice in a preferred venue, Alaska is now set to join the eight other PBA teams going to Batangas to hold their pre-season scrimmages there.
Unlike the other teams set to conduct their sessions in Batangas City, the Aces are still exploring the possibility of holding their practices in another area outside the provincial capital.
“Actually, meron kaming isang tinitingnan,” Alaska coach Jeff Cariaso told Malaya-Business Insight
“I-o-ocular (inspection) muna namin kung ayos ‘yung flooring. Batangas din siya so hindi naman siguro kami mahihirapang kumuha ng clearance,” added Cariaso.
“What’s nice is, baka sarili namin. So hindi nagmamadali, like kung sa Batangas City. So we will see.”
Cariaso added the Aces are ready to at least hold the early stages of their practices in Batangas City where Ginebra, Blackwater, NorthPort, Terrafirma, Rain or Shine, San Miguel Beer, Magnolia and Phoenix are set to start practicing today.
Meralco and TNT are already conducting their practices in Laoag City while NLEX is headed for a brief team building in Clark before proceeding to Subic.
Batangas City is ready, according to Commissioner Willie Marcial.
“Ayos na schedule nila, rotation,” said Marcial, who worked out the practice arrangements with city officials two weeks ago.
“Merong every day, may every other day,” Marcial said, adding some players and coaches have already told him they would stay in brief stretches at the city’s Pontefino Hotel.
“Kasi ‘yung iba dalawang sunod na practice tapos pahinga. Sa ganon, para pag-practice ulit, okay na sila,” related Marcial. “Tapos tulog ulit, pagkatapos noon uuwi. Iyon ang balita ko sa ibang players at coaches.”
Teams were forced to practice outside the NCR Plus, comprising Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan, since the IATF currently continues to bar the opening of indoor sports venues like gyms.
There is one concession the PBA got from the government agency tasked with coming up with policies regarding the country’s battle with the coronavirus.
“Pinapayagan tayong bumiyahe,” Marcial said. “Kasi ko-cross ng border, pero pinapayagan tayo kasi part ng trabaho iyon.”
Batangas City had offered Batangas City Coliseum, Batangas State University and Lyceum-Batangas as practice venues. But Cariaso said the convenience for his team members is a primary consideration, that’s why they are still looking for another option.
“Mahirap every day kung di ka doon titira. So for Alaska madami na ‘yung three days (a week) ang practices. Baka Thursday-Friday kami or Thursday-Saturday,” said Cariaso.
“Mahirap kasi schedule, nag-ro-rotate. Mahirap, malayo. Bibiyahe ka pauwi ng pagod, kainitan. So agawan ng magandang schedule ‘yan.”
