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    PBA to seek IATF clearance for August return to scrimmages

    Marcial looking to follow NBA restart's best practices in PBA's next step toward 5-on-5 action
    Jul 11, 2020
    PHOTO: Reuben Terrado

    FOLLOWING the upcoming resumption of practices by professional basketball teams, the PBA is now preparing to submit another request to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in August for the return of scrimmages for the 12 teams.

    PBA commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed such plan, saying they are in the process of creating more protocols for such resumption that would allow teams to play 5-on-5 among themselves at the very least.

    Marcial said the league is now preparing for the event that scrimmages for professional basketball will already be allowed. At the moment, the IATF is only allowing practices and training per batches amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “May protocol na ako pero nagreresearch pa ako. Kukunsulta pa tayo sa mga doktor para kapag sinubmit ko uli sa Task Force, baka ma-level up na to scrimmages. Naghahanda na kami. Baka first week of August, bigay ko na uli sa Task Force,” said Marcial after Saturday’s board meeting.

    Aside from making its own protocols, Marcial also wants to see if it can pattern the health standards that the NBA will be doing in its restart of the 2019-2020 season come next month in Orlando, Florida.

    “Makakakuha na rin tayo ng parang template ng NBA. Baka by August, meron tayong madadagdagan o meron na tayong napag-aralan o ‘yun nga kung anong nangyari sa NBA. Gusto ko maging loaded (‘yung mga protocols) kapag nagsimula na tayong mag-scrimmages kapag papayagan tayo” said Marcial.

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    Marcial said PBA vice chairman Bobby Rosales opened up the topic of when the resumption of scrimmages could be possibly held.

    “Sabi ko, may gawa na akong protocols pero gusto ko munang makita ‘yung mga mangyayari sa practices kapag nagsimula na tayo,” he said.

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      Following meetings with the board of governors, coaches, team managers, and players, the PBA looks set on resuming practices in hopes that the 2020 season could be salvaged. Only one game has been played in the Philippine Cup and the league intends to finish the conference, the only one to be played this year.

      Marcial said the league will soon finalize the dates on when practices will be resumed. The league has set either July 20 or 22 for the return to training.

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      PHOTO: Reuben Terrado
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