PBA chief Marcial seeks IATF OK in July meeting

MANILA, Philippines — The PBA is banking on the success of the Philippine Cup bubble as it bids to hold the 2021-22 season and gain the go-signal of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

League officials will meet with the government body again early in July to get approval to start the season on that same month.

Apart from the Clark bubble, which saw Barangay Ginebra win the Philippine Cup, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial will also present the success of the teams’ practices outside of Metro Manila and how the clubs contained an outbreak despite five individuals testing positive for COVID-19.

“We’ll present to the task force, one, is the success of the bubble in Clark, the scrimmages of the teams out of NCR (National Capital Region), and out of the 360 players there were only five who tested positive,” said Marcial in Filipino.

“Of those who tested positive, two were asymptomatic and three had mild symptoms. They were isolated and all of them have fully recovered.”

Marcial added it’s expected that almost all of the players and coaches will be vaccinated in July.

“Once they’re vaccinated then those are bonus points for us,” said Marcial.

The PBA is planning to stage two conferences this season and that the league office is looking at Ynares Center in Antipolo and Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig as possible venues.

Marcial said he’s already talked with former Antipolo Mayor Jun Ynares and will have a conversation with Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on the use of the arenas.

“I’m still talking to the IATF to get their approval,” said Marcial. “As for the players, they were really disciplined with our home-gym-home mandate during their scrimmages. The players can discipline themselves and the coaches can also guide their players.”

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