#PSAForum: Playing the waiting game, PBA hopeful for a positive response towards restart plans

With the gradual downgrade of the world's longest lockdown, the Philippine Basketball Association has been hoping for a slow yet assuring resumption of activities as they are scrambling to save the 2020 season.

As they graced the second online edition of the Philippine Sportswriters' Association Tuesday morning, Commissioner Willie Marcial has hoped for an optimistic response to their proposed protocols sent to the Inter-Agency Task For The Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), in which only the sought-after Philippine Cup will be played out for the year.

"Siguro, mag-iintay muna kami ng sagot," Marcial said in their status amidst the lockdown that have thrown everything that they have planned for their 45th season out of the window. While waiting for it, he had rated the chances as seven out of maximum of ten on their chances of resuming play, in which they will start with small-scale training sessions.

 "Ako sa akin, makakalaro pa talaga tayo kahit isang conference this year," he added, in which he was joined by his deputy and operations chief Eric Castro, as the PBA scrambles to get going before their August ultimatum.

A week prior to the lockdown on March 15, as San Miguel defeated Magnolia in the league's only game being played this year.

With football taking the initiative on resuming play, any positive response to the PBA's request will be seen as a huge step towards resumption of not just basketball but to the entire sporting scene of the Philippines, in which it also took a hit like the rest of the world.

“Kapag pinayagan ang PBA, hindi lang basketball baka lahat ng sports dahan-dahan na papayagan na yan,” he added.

Added Castro, “PBA will be a gauge for most of our sports. We can set as a model for other events. So I hope i-consider ng IATF yung request natin. So it will be a step-by-step. Again practice, and then later on kung mag-MGCQ (Moderate General Community Quarantine) tayo, we can proceed to our games.”

Marcial have cited overseas leagues in all sports as a test case and proof that resuming sports can be a huge thing in boosting the spirits of a country wrecked by the pandemic, especially that the NBA is set to resume on July 31.

Apart from it, he also bared that everyone who are related to the PBA, from the players down to its media covering it, are still safe from the deadly virus.

"Nakikita nila (IATF na) hindi lang NBA, pati EuroLeague, football, yung baseball yata magsisimula na rin. At ibang basketball leagues sa China, Korea. So malaking bagay sa amin yun,” said the PBA top man, in which that the league's prestige can produce a domino effect on all sports in the country.

“Makakatulong yun para ma-convince ang Task Force. Malaking tulong yung mga liga na yun. Maliit man o malaking liga, makakatulong sa PBA.”

Photo: PBA Images (file)