PHILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial revealed on Tuesday that the league would most likely hold its 46th season at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City because of the spike in Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila.
“It’s [Covid-19 infections] increasing so we need to be more extra careful and vigilant. We’re talking with the local government of Antipolo but it still depends on the task force,” said Marcial, referring to the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on whether or not the league could proceed amid the heightened pandemic alert.
“We’re checking if we can play or hold the games there [Antipolo City] in a closed circuit semi-bubble setup,” he added, noting that the city is under modified general community quarantine.
By strict closed-circuit format, everyone in the league should follow a home-venue-home itinerary each game or practice day.
The league successfully staged a shortened 45th season with a lone Philippine Cup conference at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone bubble in Pampanga.
The players, coaches and staff were confined in the bubble that included the Angeles University Foundation Gym from October 11 to December 13.
But the PBA governors are dropping the bubble for the coming season primarily because of the exorbitant cost. The PBA spent P60 million on the Clark bubble.
Marcial said the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and Cuneta Astrodome and Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City are not the best options at the moment because the National Capital Region records close to 3,000 new cases of virus infection a day.
“We’re facing a lot of difficulties to hold the games in the NCR,” he said.
Marcial said it’s no longer feasible to open the season on April 11 and the league is now looking at the latter part of April or early May.
The 12 PBA teams are still barred from holding scrimmages, but their players are allowed to do non-contact drills and exercises.