Beau Belga welcomes PBA bubble to give ‘entertainment’ amid pandemic

Game 3 hero Beau Belga. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—With the PBA looking to establish a bubble, Rain or Shine big man Beau Belga is throwing his support to whatever kind of resumption is decided upon.

The PBA, which has been suspended since March due to COVID-19, has put forth plans of holding the games inside a “bubble” with possible venues still being deliberated.

“It’s one way for us to give entertainment to Filipinos,” said Belga in Filipino in an interview with Sports Page. “We’ve been through a lot these past months and we need some source of happiness.”

The PBA Board is set to meet on Friday as commissioner Willie Marcial and his staff is set to present available options to get the league’s restart and at least resume the Philippine Cup before the year ends.

Marcial and the Board will discuss whether the PBA will try to copy what the NBA has done in Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando or what the Bundesliga did in Germany where games and stadiums are divided into zones that only specific people are allowed to enter with players, media, and ground staff essentially not interacting with each other.

For Belga, it doesn’t matter what structure the PBA chooses as long as the season gets back underway.

To prepare for a potential return, the Elasto Painters maximized the limited opportunity to train under existing health protocols.

“If you get lazy, you’ll obviously be left behind by the other teams,” said Belga. In a span of an hour-and-a-half we want to achieve one goal everyday. We need to get something out of that day.”

PBA teams are only allowed to field four players and one coach per session to maintain social distancing. Scrimmages are still not allowed.

Belga, though, admitted that he will miss Ginebra fans once the bubble starts because no spectators won’t be allowed into the gaming venues.

“Actually I’m sad because there are no Ginebra fans, I don’t have anyone to piss off,” joked Belga.