PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said that COVID-19 vaccines are key in the resumption of the league’s activities, such as the D-League.
The amiable executive said as much in Tuesday’s press briefing following the Board of Governors’ two-day planning session at the league’s office in Libis, Quezon City, where Season 46 was the main topic.
“Pinresent natin sa board ‘yon. Pinresent namin ito munang gagawin nating closed-circuit,” he said.
“Tapos, kung dahan-dahan papayagan na tayo ng Task Force, o may vaccine na tayo, baka pati Batang PBA at D-League, gawin natin.”
D-League games were last held on March 9, 2020 as the PBA came up with the tough decision to suspend all its activities two days later, with the novel coronavirus starting to wreak havoc in the country at that time.
School-based teams made up the majority of the 2020 Aspirants’ Cup, with Builders Warehouse-UST, EcoOil-La Salle, and ball club Marinerong Pilipino leading the standings with identical 2-0 cards before the halt.
With no D-League action for 2020, the league ultimately decided to scrap the requirement of playing in the developmental ranks for players, flooding the league’s office with a record 97 applications for the 2021 Rookie Draft.
It remains to be seen if the PBA will continue with such practice for the 2020 Rookie Draft, for everything still depends on the COVID-19 situation.
And the same can be said with regards to the return of the D-League per se, which is actually celebrating its 10th anniversary this Friday.
The league, which was conceptualized following the collapse of the proposed merger between the PBL and Liga Pilipinas, held its maiden tournament, the Foundation Cup, back on March 12, 2011.
Up to now, only pro sports are the ones allowed by the government to play. Amateur sports, meanwhile, still has to wait for further announcements.
