THE PBA has presented its case to the Inter-Agency Task Force in its bid to open the 2021 season with the government approval.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Thursday made a presentation to the IATF Technical Working Group (TWG) presided over by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) undersecretary Dodo Dulay for its request to push through with the season which has been stalled due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in Metro Manila.
After the meeting that lasted for less than an hour, the TWG will submit its recommendations to the IATF.
PBA 2021 opening
In its presentation, Marcial requested for a mid-July opening, while also citing the safe conduct of practices during the two-month period where teams travel under a home-venue-home set-up.

Marcial also mentioned the NBA and Chinese Basketball Association have already played its season in front of a full capacity audience while its counterparts in Japan and Korea are 20-percent capacity.
The PBA, meantime, will play its season without an audience with a limited number of personnel inside the venue.
The league is eyeing the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City as the venue for the 2021 season, while assuring the minimum health standards will be implemented throughout the tournament.
“Sana mapagbigyan tayo,” Marcial said. “Tayo, crowd is not allowed, and with only minimum personnel inside the venue.”
About 95 percent of the PBA family have already been vaccinated, but the league vowed not to let its guard down against the virus.
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