KaTropa eye training bubble outside NCR

MANILA, Philippines — The TNT KaTropa are considering Option B of the PBA’s training resumption plans, eyeing their sessions outside Metro Manila after the Big City’s return to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

“We’re looking into it but no definite plans yet,” TNT team manager Gabby Cui told The STAR yesterday.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said his office has already gotten word from the KaTropa about the possibility of going to an area under the less strict general community quarantine (GCQ) like Batangas.

PBA teams have actually been given the greenlight by the Inter-Agency Task Force to do small group, physical conditioning activities but only in moderate risk areas (GCQ) or less.

But with the MECQ now in effect, the ballclubs are left to either wait for NCR to ease back into the more relaxed quarantine classification or look for areas currently in GCQ and get the ball rolling there.

Games and Amusements Board chairman Baham Mitra, a signatory in the Joint Administrative Order, himself raised the option for the PBA quintets to do a “semi bubble” in places like Batangas, Quezon, Bataan and Subic to get their workouts started.

Marcial said TNT, or any other team interested in taking this option, needs to secure clearance from the league and government authorities.

“Maraming requirements. Check natin yung guidelines and protocol ng GAB, ng PBA, yung LGU, and yung swab testing nila,” said Marcial.