PBA seeks IATF go on scrimmages

Following the strict compliance of its health protocols so far, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) wants to take practices further and take another step toward restar­ting its milestone 45th Season.

Commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed sending the league’s request for full scrimmages to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which has only approved batch practices for pro clubs that have been working out since Aug. 25.

Marcial said return to scrimmages starting next week is a very important step in the league’s hopes of resuming its season that was shuttered last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve already submitted our request and we’re hoping for a positive response,” said Marcial in an online press conference on Monday.

The PBA is looking to swing back into action on Oct. 9, although the PBA board of governors has yet to decide which setup would be most ideal for the league considering the health crisis.

Marcial said the board is slated to convene on Friday where he will present the possible options for the league’s planned “bubble.”

The league is not ruling out the possibility of mounting that out-of-town, although Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, remains a top choice. INQ