Basketball, Football practices pwede na!

MANILA, Philippines — Ngayon ay puwede nang magdiwang ang Phi­lippine Basketball Association (PBA) at ang Philippine Football Federation (PFF).

Kahapon ay inihayag ng Malacañang na pinapayagan na ang mga practice at conditioning para sa basketball at football bagama’t ipinatutupad pa rin ang community quarantine protocols.

Pinayagan lamang ng Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) ang pagbabalik-ensayo ng basketball at football, ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

“Pinayagan po ‘yung practice and conditioning ng basketball at saka football,” wika ni Roque sa isang virtual press briefing.

Nauna nang nagsumite ang PBA at PFF ng kani-kanilang health at safety protocols para muling buksan ang kanilang pagba­balik-ensayo sa gitna ng kinakaharap na coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Inaprubahan naman ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Games and Amusements Board (GAB) at Department of Health (DOH) ang joint administrative order sa mga guidelines na gagamitin sa sports.

“Our players are co­ming together and are very hopeful that we can start,” sabi ni PBA chairman Ricky Vargas ng TNT Katropa. “Kasi alam din naman nila na we are protecting their own health interest and families with the protocols we have put together.”

Ilan sa mga health at safety protocols na inilatag ng PBA para sa pagbabalik-ensayo ng 12 teams ay ang pag-eensayo ng apat na players, isang trainer at isang health officer bawat sesyon, pagsailalim ng mga players sa COVID-19 test bago sumabak sa practice at ang pagdi-di­sinfect sa gagamiting venue.

Samantala, umaasa ang PSC na papayagan ding buksan ng IATF-EID ang iba pang sports kagaya ng events ng mga national athletes.

“We shall await more information and instructions from the IATF on the joint working group bet­ween GAB (Games and Amusements Board), DOH (Department of Health) and PSC so we can proceed more efficiently and effectively,” ani PSC Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Ramon Fernandez.

Natigil ang pagsasa­nay nina boxers Eumir Felix Marcial at Irish Magno, sasabak sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics, bunga ng COVID-19 pandemic.