WITH the government easing up its restrictions on some athletes, the PBA is hoping its teams would be next in line so that its season could finally get off the ground.
“Pinayagan na ibang mga sports so sana tayo naman ang sumunod na payagan,” Commissioner Willie Marcial said yesterday.
“‘Yung mga activities naman natin, sa mga practices na lang, lahat ng protocols nasunod so sana naman i-allow na tayo para maka-start na season natin,” added Marcial.
Marcial spoke after a new Joint Administrative Order (JAO) for the Guidelines on the Conduct of Health-Enhancing Physical Activities during the COVID-19 pandemic was approved.
The Games and Amusements Board, Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Health officially approved the JAO last Wednesday.
Marcial is set to make a presentation to the IATF either this Wednesday or Thursday, hoping the government agency tasked with making policies in the country’s battle against the pandemic would finally allow the PBA’s 46th season to commence.
Aside from the successful staging of the Philippine Cup bubble last year and the nearly hassle-free practices by the teams since mid-May, Marcial would also use the league’s almost-complete vaccination drive as a chief selling point.
“Siguro mga nasa 95 percent na tayong kumpleto sa bakuna and by later this week o sa susunod na linggo lahat tapos na,” said Marcial.
Under the new guidelines, areas in either GCQ or its modified version can now host training for both contact and non-contact sports as long as those are held in a bubble.
Individual contact events like martial arts and team-based non-contact sports like billiards and e-sports can even hold their competitions in GCQ areas for as long as they are in a bubble.
Team-based contact events though, like basketball, football, and volleyball, have yet to be cleared for competition in GCQ areas.
No audience is still allowed for competitions and trainings in both classifications.
Marcial is just fine with no fans being allowed inside the playing venues since the pro league’s 12 teams have gotten used to that by now in their bubble or closed-circuit practices in Ilocos Norte, Pampanga and Batangas.
“Hindi pa naman tayo makakapagpasok ng fans so pasok tayo sa order na iyon. Siguro, sabay sa pagluwag ng order na iyon ‘yung marami ng fully vaccinated pero baka sa second conference pa iyon,” noted Marcial. “Ang importante lang naman muna payagan tayong makapaglaro na.”
