Too risky

Step one was to cancel the season. Now, Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) commissioner Kenneth Duremdes is moving to step two: making sure that players with live contracts can collect the 20-percent pay they are entitled to from their mother teams.“I think we have copies of these contracts and for those who have not submitted to us, they can always approach us,” said the former PBA most valuable player awardee. “We are here to help.”

Duremdes admitted that MPBL leadership decided to cancel its fourth season because the risks of playing without a vaccine for the coronavirus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic outweigh the benefits—economic and others—that can be drawn from pushing on.

“We all know that some of the teams are very passionate and they really wanted to play, but we just can’t right now,” Duremdes said. “And based on the comments of the teams we consulted, we saw some of them are also hesitant and some of them didn’t want to play.”

The Inquirer had earlier reported that several teams were hesitant to resume the season without a vaccine because of the health risks it posed. The MPBL’s decision is a contrast to the stand by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), which is doing everything it can to find a safe path toward resuming its season before the year ends. The PBA will make its decision on its interrupted season in August.

Softball back soon

Several sports associations have held contrasting views on returning to action even without a COVID-19 vaccine developed and mass produced. The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee expressed their skepticism on games being held before the end of the year unless a vaccine can be produced. The Philippine Tennis Association has already said it won’t sanction local tournaments until the end of the year. The Philippine Football Federation, like the PBA, is hoping to get its Philippines Football League running in July.

With a set of guidelines on hand, Philippine softball is also preparing to get back to the field.Fresh from a golden sweep of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil) has adopted rules for a return to competition, listing down details like no licking of fingers for pitchers and outlawing of high-fives and fist-bumps.

“We see a silver lining that softball will return sooner rather than later,” said Asaphil president Jean Henri Lhuillier, who added he hopes to “bring back livelihood opportunities for players, coaches, officials and organizers.”

Lhuillier said they are studying the guidelines posted by the World Baseball Softball Confederation “as we plot our next steps so softball can become active and vibrant once again.”

Vaccine is safest way

The MPBL, however, remained hesitant that it can trust strict guidelines to combat a positive test.

“That’s why we came up with the decision that it’s better that we wait,” Duremdes said. “The safest way is to have a vaccine first.” “There are suggestions that everyone must undergo testing before playing and we can do that also in one venue and quarantine everyone involved, but it’s really hard to execute—not to mention the expenses [it will entail].”

If that happens, Duremdes said it would defeat the purpose of the MPBL of providing entertainment to its fans.

“Instead of providing entertainment, you give people stress and anxiety,” he said. The MPBL commissioner said the crisis can be considered as part of the birth pains of the league which started with only 10 teams in 2018 and has grown into 31 on its third season. “We have a young league that is very aggressive and we cannot deny that there will be problems, but everybody else is also struggling,” Duremdes said.