TEAM sports from ball games are pushing for the resumption of practices following the stoppage of sporting activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A video conference was held on Friday with Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) president and Philippine Superliga chairman Philip Ella Juico as one of the top officials present.
Also present were officials of national sports associations (NSAs) of basketball, volleyball, rugby football, and football. Top officials of karate and gymnastics also participated.
Following the meeting, Juico said the consensus is that team sports should restart in different phases – the first of which is the resumption of practices.
While the group respects the government in handling the pandemic, Juico also noted the importance that team sports also prepare to restart.
“It was an exchange of ideas on how best to restart our respective sports given the new situation which is a given. Ang sabi nga namin, we have to deal with it. That’s a fact. Government regulations are also a fact. We have to deal with both. The primary concern is the health and safety of everyone involved in the sport from athletes, to coaches, to ball boys, to referees, and even the spectators,” said Juico to SPIN.ph on Saturday.
“One of the things we discussed is phase muna ang pagbabalik ng competition. Simulan muna sa practice. Allow us to practice in practice venues and then let’s see what happens in a month,” he said.
The PSL is just one of the sports leagues that have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PBA, UAAP, NCAA, and the Philippines Football League have also stopped play.
Juico said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano ‘Nonong’ Araneta cited the examples of the German Bundesliga and other football leagues around the world where they’ve already resumed play despite the pandemic.
“Nonong Araneta of football was saying the German Bundesliga and the Spanish Cup, umandar na. If they can do it, why can’t we do it,” said Juico.
Juico said the group will formalize its position and submit it to the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee with the hope that it will also be heard by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF).
“We will submit it to the PSC and the POC, let them comment on it, and let them bring it up to IATF. We will submit the same paper to IATF,” said Juico.
The former PSC chairman also suggested that the PSC and the POC should meet with other NSAs to formulate plans on the resumption of sports for the sake of the athletes.
“My suggestion to the PSC and POC is to conduct similar discussions to the NSAs just to get things started. Kawawa ‘yung player financially and competition-wise. Like in track and field, the more competitions you take part in, the higher your points. Kung walang competition, mahuhuli ka from the rest of the world,” Juico said.
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