Gov’t says no scrimmages

The government is “not yet confident enough” to allow contact sports to resume amid rising cases of the new coronavirus in the country.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) only allows condition training of professional and college athletes, but not actual games.

“Because of the COVID-19 cases, we are not yet confident enough to allow contact sports,” Nograles said in a Facebook Live video aired last Saturday night.

He said the government is slowly easing restrictions, although scrimmages are still not allowed.

“Let’s take it one step at a time. Let’s start first with the condition training. Let’s talk about the scrimmage practice later, and the actual games,” Nograles said.

He noted that athletes’ associations are also submitting their proposals to the IATF on how to resume contact sports with health protocols to ensure that athletes won’t fall sick.

Nograles added that allowing “bubble” training and actual games, just like the NBA’s successful version in Orlando, Florida, would require an extensive sports facility.