THE PBA is moving back the opening of the second conference, the 2021 Governors’ Cup, to the last week of November in the hope that fans would be allowed to watch the games inside the venue by then.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said the league is now targeting either November 26 or 28 as the start of the next conference, pending clearance from the local government of Pasig City where Ynares Sports Arena is located.
The PBA initially targeted a mid-November opening of the second conference but it was pushed back after it was only recently allowed by the IATF and the Department of Foreign Affairs to bring in imports to reinforce teams.
“May import tayo at target natin, last week of November, either November 26 or 28 kapag okay na magsimula ang mga imports,” said Marcial after Friday’s meeting of the league's board of governors.
IATF and LGU clearance sought
Marcial is hopeful fans will now be allowed to watch inside the venues during the conference with a formal request to the government's Inter-Agency Task Force IATF) to be sent next week, according to the commissioner.
“Metro Manila, tingnan natin ang Ynares. Kakausapin pa natin si [Pasig City] Mayor Vico (Sotto) tapos tingnan natin sa IATF baka pwede na ang audience. Kapag puwede na, kausapin naman natin ibang venues,” said Marcial.
The PBA hasn’t opened its games to the public since the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on March 17, 2020. The last game with audience was the opener of the 2020 PBA season when San Miguel faced Magnolia at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last March 8, 2020.
With the COVID-19 cases continuing to decline, the IATF downgraded quarantine protocols in Metro Manila to Alert Level 2, thereby allowing establishments such as cinemas, karaoke bars, indoor and outdoor parks, and theaters to open.
Meanwhile, Marcial bared that teams can already start practicing for the Governors' Cup on Saturday, but only if the squads have secured a clearance from the local government unit where their training facility is situated.
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