PBA teams seek LGU OK to hold practices in Metro Manila amid GCQ status

FILE – Phoenix in training for PBA Season 45 last year. PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—PBA teams are already looking forward to returning to their old practice courts after the government put Metro Manila under general community quarantine.

League Commissioner Willie Marcial said in a story on PBA.ph that at least six teams have requested endorsement letters for the local government units where their practice facilities are located.

All of the 12 PBA teams normally hold their practices in Metro Manila, but that wasn’t possible with NCR under enhanced community quarantine the past few weeks.

“Everyone’s happy hearing the news of Metro Manila shifting to GCQ,” said Marcial.

There are teams, however, that have already arranged their practices outside of NCR Plus like Blackwater, Rain or Shine, Phoenix, and Magnolia.

The four clubs have confirmed bookings in Batangas City—the LGU that the PBA negotiated with to hold club practices during ECQ—for Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Meralco, meanwhile, has planned its practices in Laoag, Ilocos Norte with the team set to travel up north on Saturday.

Marcial, however, hasn’t focused on the prospect of opening the league’s next season of play and that team practices is their goal at the moment.

“We haven’t talked about it yet. We’ll try our very best first to keep everybody safe and protected while doing the scrimmages in the next few weeks,” said Marcial. “Let’s focus on that first.”

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