ABL suspends season amid Covid-19 pandemic

Asean Basketball League COO Jericho Ilagan. INQUIRER PHOTO/TRISTAN TAMAYO

MANILA, Philippines—The ASEAN Basketball League decided to indefinitely suspend its season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

ABL COO Jericho Ilagan released a statement saying that all member teams supported the idea and that there was no other choice for them but to momentarily stop competition.

“The ABL, with the unanimous support of all its member teams, sees no other recourse but to halt competitions in its ongoing tenth season,” said the league in the statement.

The World Health Organization has already classified Covid-19 as a pandemic after it affected upwards of 110 countries worldwide.

“With the safety of our teams and fans in mind, the league has followed every protocol, obeyed travel restrictions, and erred on the side of caution at every step to protect everyone involved,” said the statement.

The ABL originally rescheduled its games back in February due to Covid-19 but has decided to fully stop competition in light of the WHO’s announcements.

The league even looked at the prospect of booking neutral venues wherein multiple games could be played but travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in the Southeast Asian region would prove difficult for the arrangement.

“Heeding the advice of multiple government institutions [has] led to the decision to suspend our season,” said the league.

“This unprecedented situation demanded due diligence from the ABL’s part to ensure that the voice of all stakeholders will be heard and their needs met. All teams needed ample time to sort out their contracts as they also have commitments to advertisers, venues, and broadcast partners that had to be ironed out before we reached a unified decision.”