Sports off during GCQ

MANILA, Philippines — Sports-driven Filipinos will have to wait a little longer before a shot is fired again in basketball, volleyball and golf, and other games are played anew elsewhere.

This after the national government, acting on the recommendation of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), announced it will continue barring holding mass gatherings both during the extended enhanced community quarantine and general community quarantine.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said stricter measures will be implemented under the ECQ, extended again to May 15 as the government steps up its drive to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The first Luzon lockdown was scheduled to end last April 14 but was extended before President Duterte moved it up to May 15 as the government failed to flatten the curve on coronavirus, particularly in the National Capital Region.

The Big City and seven other regions remain high-risk areas, and will remain under updated ECQ.

But even if things normalize and the community protocol is lifted on May 15 or ECQ is downgraded to GCQ, sporting events will remain off the calendar.

Under the latest IATF directive, mass transport will continue to be suspended and mass gatherings, including sports events but which are not limited to practices, games, tournaments and championships.

Also to remain closed during the GCQ are gyms/fitness studios and sports facilities.

In fact, the Philippine Sports Commission has scrapped all sports activities until December 2020 even as it announced to implement several belt-tightening measures to guarantee its commitment to support the members of the national team to keep them fit and in shape.

“We heed the call of the national government to cut expenses as we re-route majority of our resources to fighting the pandemic, but we also stand by our commitment to keep supporting members of the national team,” said PSC chair Butch Ramirez.

Local sports, as in all other events in the world, came to a standstill since March 15 following the COVID-19 outbreak with the PBA able to hold just one game for the Philippine Cup, the MPBL cutting short its Lakan playoffs and the Philippine Superliga cancelling its Grand Prix series after a few games. The Premier Volleyball League, which starts after each UAAP volley season, and the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3X3 have been moved to a later date.

The UAAP and the NCAA have scrapped the remainder of their 2019-20 sporting seasons while the country’s three-category pro golf circuit, which was set to fire off last month, has also been put on hold.

All national championships have also been suspended while lined up for the second half of the year are the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, the 2020 Asian Swimming Championships and FIBA 3X3 Manila Masters.