THE PBA is tinkering with the idea of playing briefly in a bubble come the Philippine Cup, and then shifting to a closed-circuit system once players, coaches, officials, and staff receive their vaccines against COVID-19.
Commissioner Willie Marcial admitted he's considering such an approach if only to get the 46th season of the league finally moving forward.
On Wednesday, Marcial and Barangay Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua met with Sen. Bong Go, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and officials of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infecious Diseases.
With time ticking away and the league still awaiting its ordered vaccines from partner Philippine Red Cross, opening the Philippine Cup in a bubble environment is looking more and more as a must, according to Marcial.
Ilocos Norte under Governor Matthew Manotoc is just on a standby if ever the PBA decides to finally pursue the same set up it did last year at Clark in Pampanga.
Marcial bared he already brought up to Manotoc, son of former PBA champion coach Tommy Manotoc and co-owner of the Espiritu-Manotoc Basketball Management Philippines together with Marvin Espiritu, such a scenario.
“Puwede! Yan ang sinabi ko kay Governor Manotoc na kapag nag-bubble, baka isang buwan lang kami diyan and bababa na kami kasi OK na yung vaccines, OK na yung NCR. Kaya puwedeng mangyari yun,” the commissioner said.
“Sinabi ko kay Gov. Manotoc yun and OK naman siya dun."
Once vaccines become available, players, coaches, and other team and league staff will be inoculated to help pave the way in the transition to a closed-circuit system, with games to be played at the Ynares Center in Antipolo as per the PBA’s prior arrangement with former city Mayor Casimero ‘Junjun’ Ynares.
The league is looking to open the season by late May or June, which is about the same time it expects to finally get hold of the purchased vaccines from PRC.
But should there be a delay in the arrival of vaccines, the league could be looking to start the season by playing temporarily in a bubble in Ilocos Sur, which is currently under a lesser quarantine restrictions.
At the same time, Marcial disclosed one more Local Government Unit (LGU) kept in touch of him and offered its willingness to host the PBA under a similar set up.
“Merong nagsabi sa akin na isa pang LGU pero hindi ko muna sasabihin kasi pinag-uusapan pa namin,” he said.
“Pero kung magba-bubble nga, yun Ilocos Norte, Antipolo, or yung isang kausap ko (na LGU).”
Ilocos Norte previously hosted the PBA All-Star, giving the league of what to expect in the province, while Antipolo could be host under a semi-bubble format or closed circuit since Marcial is uncertain whether it has a hotel big enough to accommodate a delegation of around 500 to 600 persons.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
