TEAMS willing to avail of a tantalizing proposition may have a leg up over the rest of the field once the PBA is given the green light to resume preparations for its 46th season.
According to Commissioner Willie Marcial, all 12 teams have asked for time to get some conditioning before starting their much-needed full contact scrimmages.
“Kailangan daw nila dahan-dahan munang practice, di naman agad makaka-scrimmages.
Iyon ang sinasabi nila sa akin. So conditioning ng konti saka scrimmages,” Marcial, who had consultation with the coaches last Tuesday, said.
“Kailangan daw banat-banatin muna mga players,” he added. “’Yung iba nagsasabi sa akin na three weeks, kulang. Scrimmages okay three weeks, pero ‘yung… mga walang practice, walang lahat, back to zero iyon.”
Teams could actually hit the ground running in terms of at least getting into condition early should they accept an offer to go to Ilocos Norte, specifically Laoag City, and hold practices there.
The offer came on top of a separate proposal from Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc to host at least the Philippine Cup since the province is under MGCQ, the most relaxed quarantine level.
According to a source, Manotoc has invited the teams to come over and hold their practices at the Centennial Arena located within the provincial capital and venue of several PBA games before.
“Kinumbida na San Miguel group, kinumbida na GlobalPort, NLEX,” related the source. “Ewan lang kung inimbitahan din ‘í½ung iba, pero ‘yung invitation para sa practice lang.”
Marcial said he has no objection to teams accepting the offer as long as requirements are met.
“Kailangan may JAO approval,” said Marcial, referring to an agreement made up of all the rules and guidelines prepared by the DOH, PSC and GAB and approved by the IATF.
“Also, task force approval. LGU, tapos mga protocols doon para malaman din ng PBA.”
At the moment, however, the teams have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
The season start, moved back thrice before and currently on hold due to the worsening coronavirus pandemic, still depends on when the government would lift its restrictions on sports-related activities.
Such restrictions started last March 29 when Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Bulacan were placed under ECQ, putting a halt to the PBA teams’ preparations. The quarantine level has been eased to MECQ up to the end of the month, but that and the expected reversion to GCQ would still not allow group practices.
Marcial is set to meet with the IATF, the country’s policy-making body for affairs related to the pandemic, next week to get a clearer picture of what’s immediately in store for the PBA.
