FILE – PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial during a press conference Wednesday night. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—The PBA will only get the go signal to push through with its 46th season if the COVID-19 situation in the country improves.
After meeting with Malacañang, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said that the government will only allow the league to start the season if the COVID-19 cases go down, regardless if teams and league staff get vaccinated.
“That’s what they said, even if we’re vaccinated if the cases won’t go down the PBA won’t push through,” said Marcial in Filipino during a virtual press meeting. “So the cases should go down.”
The Philippines topped 1 million cases on Monday and tallied 6,877 new ones on Wednesday.
Marcial said that once the cases start to drop, the PBA will appeal with the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to allow teams to start scrimmages in Batangas.
The PBA is eyeing Batangas City as host for the daily practices and scrimmages as the province is under general community quarantine, a measure lower than Metro Manila’s modified enhanced community quarantine.
“We will appeal to the IATF so that we can our practices,” said Marcial.
The PBA, though, is still looking at June as its potential start for the season is on a wait-and-see approach.
“That’s what I’ve been saying, that even if we do get vaccinated but if the cases won’t go down then we won’t be able to play,” said Marcial.