The difficulties of going and playing within a bubble setup underscore the agenda of the third staging of the Philippine Professional Sports Summit by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).
The event is set on Wednesday and will be held online for the second straight year given the current pandemic situation.
The struggle of holding tournaments under these trying times will be discussed during the one-day affair as top officials of pro leagues in the country like the PBA, PVL, PFL, NBL, WNBL, Chooks To Go Pilipinas 3×3, VisMin Cup as well as representatives of other pro sports like boxing, golf, chess, and esports are going to serve as guest speakers of this year’s summit.
“There will be leagues that are going to share their experiences. Happy tayo that maso-showcase yung mga ginawa nila kasi ang hirap talaga. Planning pa lang and approval niyan ang hirap talaga,” said GAB Chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra in Tuesday’s online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.
“Tsaka magastos yan kasi ilang araw kayo mag-bubble or mag-isolate bago kayo payagan.”
This year’s theme is ‘Professional Sports Through The Pandemic: Now and Future Directions.’
Serving as resource speakers are PBA Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro, former PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad for VisMin Cup, Mark Zambrano for Chooks To Go Pilipinas 3×3, and Rhose Montreal on behalf of the NBL and WNBL – all representing basketball.
Resource speakers in other sports include Ricky Palou (PVL), Coco Torre (PFL), Atty. Paul Elauria (PCAP), Mohamed Shariz (PGTI-golf), Steven Uytengsu (Ironman Triathlon), Marlon Marcelo (Philippine Esports Organization), Nico Kenji Nazario (esports), Jonmar Villaluna (esports player), boxing promoters Brico Santig, JC Mananquil, and Charlemagne Marban III, boxing officials Alberto Dulalas, Romulo Marlou Neri, Atty. Danrex Tapdasan, Nicolas Banal, muay thai promoter Francis Amandy, and Team Lakay chairman and head coach Mark Sangiao.
“Meron din tayong mga policy makers na magsasalita and then, of course, the players, the licensees,” said Mitra in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation (PSC), MILO, Amelie Hotel, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The GAB chief added his office also invited the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), provincial, city, and regional sports coordinators for them to have an idea of how things are being done on the professional level in this time of the pandemic.
“Ang gusto lang natin dito ay matuto para yung mga kabataan ay malaman what’s ahead on the professional scene,” Mitra said in the same public sports program powered by Smart and Upstream Media as the official webcast partner.
“So that their eyes will be opened to professional leagues, and that’s why we would like to reach out to as many people as possible.”
Mitra said this will be the last pro summit that is going to be held under his watch as his term is co-terminus with President Rodrigo Duterte.
It was first held in 2019 at the PICC and then last year staged via online for the first time.
