The PBA is set to discuss matters with authorities as the league faces uncertainty anew following the capital’s revert to stricter coronavirus measures.
Metro Manila will be placed under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 16 due to the rise of COVID-19 cases and the risk imposed by the Omicron variant, casting doubts on the resumption of the Governors’ Cup slated on the 5th.
Commissioner Willie Marcial will reach out to the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Games and Amusements Board, and the local government units of where the league is scheduled to hold games to map out their plans better.
“Kakausapin ko pa sila sa January 3 — LGU, GAB, IATF,” he told Tiebreaker Times, Saturday. “Mga a-tres o a-kuwatro, may liwanag na tayo.”
The PBA has slowly been returning to its usual operations amidst the pandemic. It just came back to the SMART Araneta Coliseum last December 15 — a homecoming that took nearly a couple of years to materialize.
And the cherry on top was the presence of a live audience, something that the league missed after playing in empty arenas for two conferences as mass gatherings were prohibited during the height of the health crisis.
The league has also announced days before the end of 2021 that it is set to return to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay as well on the 15th.
But then came the IATF announcement on New Year’s Eve that the capital will be under Alert Level 3, where contact sports aren’t allowed.
Marcial, though, hopes that the PBA will be permitted to play on despite such, similar to what happened in the 2021 Philippine Cup when the league was allowed to play — provided that it will be run in a semi-bubble.
So from a closed-circuit set-up at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, the league went to Pampanga to resume the tilt. Most teams rented out villas and hotels for their quarters, as matches were held at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor.
Doing it once more is among the options for the league — even if it means losing a live crowd again, according to the amiable league chieftain.
“Baka walang fans,” said Marcial. “Pero, hindi pa natin alam. Kaya hintayin muna natin, dahil makikipag-usap muna tayo (authorities).”
This marks yet another challenge for a league that’s been trying to regain its losses due to the pandemic. But for Marcial, there’s no other way but to adapt and play with the hand they have been dealt with.
“Kailangan masanay ka na sa ganitong sitwasyon. Hindi mo na maiiwasan ang COVID e. Kailangan, you have to live along with it,” the 60-year-old sportsman said. “Kailangan, mag-adapt ka lagi sa sitwasyon.”
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