SAN Miguel Beer should have had a leg up over the rest of the field in terms of familiarization when it came to the PBA’s targeted venue for the resumption of the Philippine Cup in Pampanga.
It just never came to be, with Beermen coach Leo Austria claiming the PBA ordered all the teams to scratch the Don Honorio Ventura State University off their list as a practice facility after the pro league deemed it an ideal alternate venue for the season-opening tournament.
“Nu’ng makita nila (PBA) na ideal para sa resumption, lalo na sa isang semi-bubble set-up, ayun, ‘di na nila pinakawalan,” Austria told Malaya-Business Insight.
“Napurnada tuloy kami. Ngayon, controlled na ng PBA,” added Austria with a chuckle.
The good impressions about the gym remain, however.
“’Yung DHVSU, bagong renovate,” Austria said. “Maganda ‘yung gym, maganda dugouts, dalawa. Compound iyon kaya ideal talaga sa bubble. May enough space for parking, pati sa mga OB vans ng TV. Malaki ang space.
“At hindi puntahan, maliban na lang kung talagang sasadyain mo. Medyo tago, kaya ideal talaga para sa PBA.”
The pro league is waiting for an official confirmation from Pampanga Gov. Delfin Pineda before finally resuming the conference at the DHVSU gym, located in Bacolor.
The letter is expected no later than today, and the PBA is giving the teams, which trooped to their different accommodation sites in Pampanga yesterday, about a week of practices before resuming play Wednesday next week.
Those scrimmages are set for the moment at the Angeles University Foundation in Angeles City, Colegio de Sebastian in San Fernando and Beverly Place in Mexico. But not DHVSU, which has never hosted a PBA game before.
Austria considered the DHVSU Wildcats’ homecourt as the perfect practice facility for his team when uncertainty hung over the teams’ heads while they were gearing up for the season in Batangas due to the Taal volcano acting up.
“Mga four weeks ago nandoon ako sa area na iyon,” Austria said.”Kasi nagkaroon ng problema sa Batangas at that time. Sabi ko, ‘Plan B.’ Nag-inspect kami doon sa Pampanga. Actually, tatlong gyms ang pinuntahan namin doon.”
Austria said his staff got wind up of DHVSU through SMB pillar and Angeles City native Arwind Santos.
“Actually nag-recommend noon si Arwind,” Austria said. “Supposed to be, doon na kami mag-pa-practice. May schedule na kami.”
There is plenty to like about the DHVSU gym, which Austria said is perfect for playing in a semi-bubble setup where all teams are mandated to strictly follow a routine limiting their movements to accommodation-game or practice venue-and back.