PBA gains formal approval to resume play in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has formally secured Pampanga province’s approval to relocate its activities there, said commissioner Willie Marcial.

“We finally received the formal approval from Gov. Dennis Pineda,” the league chief told the Inquirer on Monday afternoon.

“Teams began traveling to Pampanga today, and practices will kick off on Tuesday,” he went on.

The PBA delegation will be pitching camps across the cities of San Fernando, Angeles, and the municipalities of Bacolor and Mexico.

Marcial has yet to provide an official reboot date for the stalled Philippine Cup as the league still awaits the go-signal from Dr. Enrique G. Baking of Don Honorio Ventura State University which is shaping up as the prime venue for the games.

The league has set its sights on a reboot in the first week of September. Game schedules will be released on a weekly basis, and could be compressed should the PBA encounter any hitches along the way.

Magnolia leads the all-Filipino race, having won four of its first four games. Just a game behind is TNT, which is also unbeaten.

Defending champion Barangay Ginebra is in the middle of the pack with a 2-2 record. Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer, the retooled powerhouse, is on a comfortable spot in the top half of the draw with a 3-1 card.

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