ABOUT a week into their sojourn in Pampanga, PBA teams have identified their biggest problem before the Philippine Cup resumes in Bacolor.
Severely restricted in their movements and having little to do aside from practices, the players and other personnel from each of the 12 ballclubs scattered in different accommodations around the province are forced to find ways to put their minds in the proper mode.
“Mental health ang biggest issue namin sa ngayon,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao.
“We have to find ways to break the onset of mental fatigue, boredom out of our everyday routine,” added Guiao. “Iyan ang pinakamalaking problema namin sa ngayon, how to keep our players focused.”
At first glance, the teams should have been used to that since they went through practically the same experience in the same tournament’s bubble last year when they all stayed at the Quest Hotel inside Clark City and played at the Angeles University Foundation gym.
This time is different, however.
Since being allowed to enter Pampanga last week, six teams are at the Quest Hotel while the others opted for other accommodations. NLEX and Blackwater are the most distanced from the other teams, both choosing to stay in Mexico.
As part of health and safety protocols agreed upon by the PBA, provincial and local government units and officials of the Clark Development Corp., teams are allowed to go out of their places of accommodations only if they have practices.
Otherwise, the players, coaches and other members of the teams must stay in their rooms or in specially designated areas within the hotel or villa where they are billeted.
Such measures have been designed to prevent the encroachment of the coronavirus in the semi-bubble set-up and enable the league to resume games starting this Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State U.
“Sa pakikipagtulungan at coordination sa mga opisyal doon (Pampanga), may mga itinalaga kaming mga security officers, pulis, para siguraduhing nasusunod ang mga protocols natin,” said Commissioner Willie Marcial.
“May mga tao rin tayong umiikot para i-monitor ang mga teams pero konti lang sila kaya ‘yung mga team managers sinabihan naming i-police ‘yung ranks nila,” added Marcial.
“‘Yung driver nga ng bus namin, lumabas para may bibilhin lang sa 7-11 sa kanto, hinabol ng security,” related Guiao. “Hindi daw puwede.”
The PBA decided to hold tripleheaders on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and twin-bills on Thursdays and Saturdays to hit its target of winding up the tournament sometime in October.
Even stricter measures are in place for the tournament itself. All teams will have to undergo RT-PCR testing every Monday and those playing in a particular gameday would have to first go through antigen testing in the morning. Those who test positive would be immediately subjected to confirmatory swab testing.
Such is the main reason Marcial said game schedules would only be announced on a weekly basis, starting tomorrow afternoon.
“Dedicated naman ‘yung clinic or lab natin for such testing kaya magiging madali ang turnaround ng results,” offered Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro, head of the league’s advance party which assured the teams are suitably settled in Pampanga.
In the meantime, the teams have to content themselves with their practices, whose schedules have been kept secret to prevent avid fans from sneaking in, or using some of their free time chatting with friends or loved ones online.
“Part ito ng sacrifice para lang matuloy ang liga,” said Guiao. “Sandali na lang naman and then laro na, so at least mababawasan boredom, mental fatigue.”
