Order for Return of Sports Practices to be Released this Week

Earlier this month, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has allowed some of the professional sports leagues to resume team practices but without the formal release of the joint administrative order coming from the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Department of Health (DOH), leagues such as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is left with one choice: wait until the order is released.

The good news Is: leagues will no longer need to wait as GAB is set to release the said joint administrative order this coming week. GAB said in a statement that they are just awaiting the approval coming from the legal department of the DOH. This development came after a meeting between GAB Chairman Baham Mitra, GAB division heads, and DOH Policy and Technology Section Chief Rodney Bautista that took place last week. Upon the release of the said administrative order, sports leagues such as the PBA and the Philippine Football League (PFL) can resume holding team practices as long as teams follow health and safety protocols set forth by the IATF. Nevertheless, the impending release of the said order allowing team practices to be held is the first step of local sports gradually picking up the pieces smashed by the ongoing 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

GAB didn't forget to commend the PBA and the PFL for setting the protocols for them to be able to hold practices with PFL Commissioner Coco Torre revealing the PSL's 11 core strategies that the league will implement once the season opens by September at the earliest. Torre also shared that the league will be implementing a contactless registration process on top of having an online health monitoring system in place for players, coaches, and support staff. On the side of the PBA, Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro noted in an online meeting among GAB's stakeholders last week, that the PBA will follow medical guidelines set by the GAB and health safety protocols set by the health department. 

While it's still a long way to go before we see actual games being played, GAB finally releasing the administrative order for the resumption of team practices is a good first step to take. 

Photo is from Panay News