THE PBA admitted it can no longer afford to hold another bubble this season.
In his meeting with the IATF last Wednesday, Commissioner Willie Marcial told the agency how difficult it is to mount another bubble which the league did last year just to be able to mount its 45th season amid a pandemic.
Marcial said the undertaking was not only a mental burden for players, coaches, and team personnel, it was also financially challenging for the entire league itself.
“Sinabi ko rin sa IATF yun, hindi na namin kayang mag-bubble. Mahirap. Inamin ko na mahirap kasi magastos,” stressed the PBA chief during a press briefing on Friday.
Published May 5, 2021, 3:31 PM
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Office has encouraged the players, coaches and officials of all 12 teams to join the government’s campaign against the spread of COVID-19.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said Wednesday, May 5, that the league, as an institution, should help the nation even in a small way during this pandemic.
“Ang pinaglalaban natin dito (What we’re fighting for here) is for all of us to be safe, at maibaba pa natin ang numero ng mga kaso sa COVID-19 (and for us to lower the cases of COVID-19). Kasi bilang isang bansa kailangan tulungang tayo sa paglaban (As a nation we have to help each other in this fight),” said Marcial in an interview with
BusinessWorld
May 3, 2021 | 6:33 pm
By
Senior Reporter
WHEN Season 46 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will start remains up in the air, but the league is staying proactive and weighing all options to get the ball rolling at the soonest possible time.
Originally set to begin on April 18, the new PBA season was deferred to a still-to-be-determined date, now dependent on whether the number of coronavirus cases will go down, league officials had been told by the government.
The league, however, remains hopeful that the coronavirus situation here will swing for the better just as it is seeking ways to augment the immediate start of its delayed season.
PBA practices OK d in Batangas City starting mid-May
The PBA took a huge step towards kickstarting the 2021 season after Batangas agreed to host team practices starting mid-May.
Commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the development Sunday, a day after league officials wrapped up discussions with Batangas City Mayor Beverly Dimacuha and Fifth District Rep. Marvey Mariño. We ll meet soon to discuss the protocols and our team will go and inspect the locations this week. We ve also coordinated with (Games and Amusements Board) chairman Baham Mitra regarding our plans, shared Marcial in Filipino. Now, we ll only need a Joint Administrative Order [from GAB, the Department of Health, and the Philippine Sports Commission] and once the gyms are cleared, teams can start practicing next, next week, he added
A joint administrative order from different government agencies is still needed to formalize Batangas City s hosting of PBA team practices, league commissioner Willie Marcial said.