By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is looking to resume the 2021-2022 Governors’ Cup elimination round matches by early February with cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on a downward trend.
The league said in an advisory on Monday afternoon that its Board of Governors has unanimously agreed to resume the matches but will not allow fans inside the playing venue yet.
“As cases of COVID-19 infection in Metro Manila start to slow down, the PBA Board of Governors during a board meeting on Monday unanimously agreed to resume action in the Governors’ Cup by the first week of February,” the PBA said.
The league added that, when the season-ending conference resumes, matches will be held at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and Ynares Center in Antipolo
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, in a separate interview, said that the league is waiting for local government units’ (LGUs) go-signal with the aid of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for teams to carry on with their scrimmages.
According to Marcial, his office and MMDA, headed by Chairman Benhur Abalos, are waiting to hear from a total of six LGUs, namely Quezon City, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Mandaluyong, and San Juan.
“Humingi ako ng tulong through Chairman Abalos ng MMDA kasi ‘pag nag-practice at nag-scrimmages, anim na cities tayo magpapaalam,” Marcial said. “‘Pag okay na sila, magsisimula tayo.”
Marcial added that, once a date has been set for the scrimmages, the league will give its member teams 10 days to prepare for the season resumption.
“‘Pag naka-resume, tsaka natin tingnan kung ano sasabihin sa atin,” Marcial said. “Siguro in a couple of weeks, baka pwede na ‘yung fans. Pero as of now, wala. Ang inaayos ko muna makalaro tayo.”
The PBA voluntarily stopped the Governors’ Cup due to the spike of COVID-19 infections in the country that began before the New Year, which forced the national government to place the nation’s capital under Alert Level 3./ASC, WDJ