Full practices on hold as PBA awaits Alert Level 3 repercussions

The PBA has called off full practices and teams will have to settle for small group training sessions while the league is awaiting word from the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) as well as from concerned local government units (LGU) after the National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under Alert Level 3 starting Monday, January 3.

The move by the national government was made in response to the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases and the possibility of local transmission of the omicron variant.

The league has actually started to hold the games of the 2021 Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City with fans inside the venue since December 15.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Emergence of Infectious Diseases had earlier stated that contact sports will not will be allowed in Alert Level 3 with the exception of professional leagues being held under a full-bubble setup.

Commissioner Willie Marcial, however, remains optimistic that the ongoing conference will be allowed to proceed provided that a home-venue-home setup is observed and without fans in the stands.

“Remember, yung Alert Level 3 is equivalent to the GCQ (general community quarantine) natin last year, na pinayagan tayong maglaro sa Ynares (Arena in Pasig City) under a closed-circuit system,” explained Marcial.

The amiable league executive added the he has already written to GAB and to the respective LGUs in order to get clearer view of the situation.

“Mas malalaman natin by Monday when government offices open.”