SBP monitoring COVID-19 situation as February Fiba qualifying nears

FILE–Tip off between Gilas Pilipinas and South Korea during the Fiba Asia Qualifiers. FIBA ASIA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country to see if the Philippines can still host the February window of the 2023 World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Ryan Gregorio, the special assistant to SBP President Al Panlilio, they will act in accordance to what the national government says in terms of holding international sporting events.

“We are closely monitoring the situation, we are adhering to the government’s guidance,” said Gregorio Friday.

“Hopefully the COVID situation will stabilize as soon as possible,” said Gregorio.

The SBP was originally tasked to organize the February window matches for Group A— New Zealand, South Korea, the Philippines, and India—in a bubble set-up at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

That, however, could be shelved once more as Metro Manila was placed under Alert Level 3 while tallying 13,643 of the Philippines’ 21,819 new cases on Friday.

Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 3 until January 15.

The February games were supposed to be the November window back in 2021 but that too was shelved due to the pandemic.