Without IATF green light, Naascu plans ‘online’ season

The National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (Naascu) said it will only hold basketball and volleyball competitions in its next season if it gets approval of its safety protocols from government health officials.

Otherwise, Naascu president Ernesto Jay Adalem said, he will do away with both sports, a move approved by all 12 member schools. Naascu plans to resume its season with games that can be played online.

“We don’t have to stop the entire season just because we can’t hold basketball and volleyball,” Adalem of St. Clare College said. “We understand the need to continue our share of sports development through our own means.”

If it doesn’t get approval from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), Naascu will hold its season online, featuring competitions in poomsae, kata, chess and esports.

Adalem, along with league vice president Rodillo Legaspi of New Era University, is appealing for help from the Philippine Sports Commission to continue its season.

Naascu is trying to follow the footsteps of the NCAA, which is planning a bubble setup for its 96th. The UAAP, which had earlier decided to scrap its 83rd season, also fleetingly considered a bubble tournament but ditched the plan in the name of safety.