BASES Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and CEO Vince Dizon is looking at the staging of the third window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers as a proof that the light at the end of the tunnel is nearing when it comes to the country's fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.
"After more than a year, we're hosting an international event with six visiting countries who will pit their talents against our very own Gilas Pilipinas," he said on Sunday.
"Napaka-symbolic kasi sa dami ng hirap na niranas natin at gaano kahilig ang mga Pilipino sa basketball, just to see our team perform here at home against the top teams in Asia is really such a welcome sight. And it gives us so much hope that we really are at the tailend of this really difficult time."
Dizon and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president Manuel Gaerlan were among the officials who were at Quest Hotel in Clark on Sunday as teams entered the bubble three days before the formal start of the games.
Korea and Gilas Pilipinas were the first two nations to enter the Clark bubble, where they underwent swab tests upon entry. Players, coaches and team staff are required one-day quarantine before being cleared to practice at the Angeles University Foundation Gym.
Teams from six nations are participating in the event, namely Korea, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and Thailand, as Clark becomes the site of the first international sporting event in the country since the outbreak of COVID-19.
In the event that someone in the delegation tests positive, they will be isolated in their room as the organizers observe the protocols and guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infetious Diseases and Fiba, which will be led by Dr. Randy Molo and Dr. George Canlas.
"Another series of tests will be done a day after to see if whether it will [register] a positive or negative result. Should another positive result come out, we'll be conferring with our doctors to see how we'll move forward," said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) deputy executive director Butch Antonio.
Dizon said officials will be more thorough in implementing protocols compared to the PBA bubble from October to December last year.
"We had to follow Fiba rules and the Fiba rues are more strict. The players were tested four times before they start practicing and playing here and since there are less teams involved, we're providing all our guests one is to one ratio for their rooms. Also, there's a more strict coordination with police and the local government unit so that the guidelines will really be observed," he said.
Games will start on Wednesday and will run until June 20, with spots to the continental tilt in Indonesia in August up for grabs.
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