PBA akhirnya bisa bermain penuh waktu di kota — dengan penggemar di tribun

Electricity forward Vic Manuel dan Sean Anthony. FOTO FILE

Penurunan standing tingkat siaga Metro Manila telah memberikan alasan bagi Asosiasi Bola Basket Filipina untuk berharap perlahan-lahan menuju normal—termasuk kemungkinan kembalinya para penggemar ke tempat-tempat bermain.

“Kami mulai melihat ke arah itu,” kata komisaris Willie Marcial, Jumat, seusai rapat dengan anggota dewan PBA. “Ini akan membutuhkan banyak kerja keras dan banyak keberuntungan, tetapi kami harus memiliki tujuan untuk mendapatkan penggemar kembali.”

Sumber mengatakan liga dijaga dengan optimismenya—untuk alasan yang bagus.

“Kuncinya di sini adalah sedikit lebih dari dua minggu [that looser restrictions will be implemented,” said a team official, who asked not to be named.

But Marcial said the PBA has created several backup scenarios in case health restrictions tighten up again.

Improving numbers

Metro Manila had been downgraded to alert level 2 late Thursday evening after improving numbers of daily cases of COVID-19 infections. The downgrade will cover the period of Nov. 5 to 21.

And according to the latest set of guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF), contact sports shall be allowed to be undertaken at a “maximum of 50 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and those below 18 years of age, even if unvaccinated, and 70 percent outdoor venue capacity.”

That meant that Asia’s pioneering pro league can now opt to stage its import-spiced Governors’ Cup in Metro Manila.

And the wording of the guidelines certainly open up the possibility of fans returning back to the stands.

“We still need to find out what the protocols are and what requirements we need to complete to put fans back in the stands,” said Marcial, who is set to meet with the government task force to draft guidelines on spectators returning to playing venues.

“We’ve gotten a directive from the IATF requiring that all workers should be fully vaccinated, but I’ve yet to thoroughly check it,” he added.

Then there is the other sticky caveat: Local government units (LGUs) have a final say on the matter.

The PBA certainly doesn’t lack friendly LGUs who can welcome the league to their areas under alert level 2.

Marcial said they are already talking to the Pasig local government to discuss holding the Governors’ Cup at Ynares Sports Arena.

Uptick

The PBA took the lid off its 46th season on July 16, but an uptick in coronavirus infections, brought on by a more contagious variant, prompted the league to go into an indefinite break on Aug. 3, after playing a total of 26 matches.

The PBA then relocated in Bacolor town in Pampanga, and resumed play on Sept. 1, playing the remainder of the centerpiece tournament at Don Honorio Ventura State University. There, TNT emerged as the new all-Filipino champion.

Marcial said the Governors’ Cup will kick off on the 26th or 28th of this month, depending on when the teams can clear their imports for playing.

“Most of the imports have secured paperwork with the [Department of Foreign Affairs],” kata Marcial. “Jika mereka dapat menyelesaikan semuanya segera, kami ingin menyelesaikan semuanya pada 28 November.”

Juga dijadwalkan untuk dibuka adalah turnamen 3×3 perdana liga, yang akan memiliki full 13 tim yang bersaing, pada 20 November.

Dalam berita liga lainnya, Kantor Komisaris telah menyetujui perdagangan antara Phoenix Super LPG dan NorthPort yang melibatkan pria besar Sean Anthony dan Vic Manuel.

Gas Masters mengakuisisi penyerang serba bisa Anthony, swingman menjanjikan Sean Manganti, dan select putaran kedua di masa depan dari Dermaga Batang, yang akan menerima Manuel dan Michael Calisaan dalam pertukaran.

Anthony, seorang veteran 11 tahun, bermain untuk total delapan pertandingan di Piala Filipina terakhir dan membuat 10,6 poin, 6,8 rebound, dan 2,1 support untuk Dermaga Batang sebelum turun dengan taji tulang di kaki kanannya.

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