By Waylon Galvez
If and when the government approves the return of basketball, it can’t be practiced right away.
Former PBA coach and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Special Assistant to the President Ryan Gregorio said it will still be up to the local government officials if it would allow the sports enthusiast to play their favorite sport.
“We’re going to be dependent again on what’s happening on a specific area,” Gregorio, a two-time PBA champion mentor and PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year, said the other day.
“May mga risk level kasi yan – high risk and low risk,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 cases in different areas in Metro Manila and even in other provinces affected by the virus.
“Even if we are given clearance already you have to depend on what the situation is… from your mayor, from your governor, or even from your own school president on what the direction is.”
Gregorio said the SBP, headed by Al Panlilio, is pushing for the return of basketball, and among its stakeholders eager to return is the PBA.
The pro played only one game – during its opening last March – before the deadly coronavirus forced officials to postpone the matches.
Despite the current situation, the SBP is hoping the PBA gets the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease, the government’s arm dealing with the health crisis, to let it teams practice.
Gregorio believes that if PBA be allowed to resume practice, the pro league could be the “starter” for the return of basketball in the country.
Gregorio pointed to the league’s first step in returning with team practice sessions, and each club member will be implementing health protocols for players, coaches and utility men once they are inside the gym.
The guidelines would be the same for other leagues, be it for other commercial tournaments, schools or LGU teams.
“The situation is very fluid because COVID-19 is live, meaning a lot of things are happening, rules can change anytime dahil nag-iiba, namu-mutate (virus),” said Gregorio.
“It is really a hard situation, we are all scrambling for answers. At this point, nagkakaroon na ng linaw but we are still trying to come up with strong measures to ensure na yung protocols namin are always practiced.”
“At kung bumablik man tayo dun sa basketball court, we’ll be able to mitigate the transmission (of the virus),” added Gregorio.
