3×3 league to enforce strict protocols in planned bubble tournament

Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 commissioner Eric Altamirano. INQUIRER PHOTO/Tristan Tamayo

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s only professional 3×3 league is not leaving anything to chance as it prepares to be the first league to hold an actual tournament in the Philippines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Eric Altamirano, commissioner of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3, said the league is taking all the necessary steps and precautions to ensure the players, officials and staff will be free from COVID-19.

Just like the NBA, which has been successful so far with zero cases since its season restart last month in its campus-like environment at Walt Disney World in Florida, Chooks will also form its own bubble at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna as it aims to get going hopefully by September.

“Right after the MECQ is lifted, we will resume our testing and training,” said Altamirano, who was with Alvin Pasaol, one of the country’s top 3×3 players, in Filipino during Tuesday’s PSA Forum webcast.

“We’re ensuring that we will cover everything from testing to contact tracing,” added Altamirano, who bared he’s been in close consultation with Dr. Tony Leachon, the former special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, and other health experts about the protocols the league will have to observe before and during the tournament.

Metro Manila and nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal have been placed back into modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until Aug. 18 as coronavirus cases in the country continue to rise by the thousands.

Among the safety measures is that all involved personnel, especially the ones entering the bubble, are required to undergo swab testing (PCR-testing).

For the workouts, meanwhile, Altamirano is looking for a centralized training facility for all teams so that activities and movements of all players will be closely and easily monitored.

“If you only have one facility where you can practice, we can have contact tracing to ensure the safety of the facility in terms of cleaning and disinfecting. There will be a scheduled protocol when it comes to that, for every practice, there’s a cleaning gap before the next group practices.”

“We can all do this if it is a centralized venue,” the former PBA player and coach added.
The protocols are even stricter inside the bubble where a person showing a single symptom will be quickly isolated.

Atamirano also said that pushing for the holding of the tournament will also help the country’s 3×3 team in its preparations for the Olympic qualifying meet next year