By JONAS TERRADO
Blackwater is expected to submit this week a written explanation surrounding its decision to hold practice over the weekend minus the PBA’s blessing.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said a letter was already sent to the Elite management regarding the unsanctioned practice which team owner Dioceldo Sy revealed during a television program last Monday.
Sy said during the program Sports Page which aired on TV5 that he was able to see the team train under strict health guidelines that will be implemented by the league once practices are allowed.
“Pinadalhan na namin ng sulat,” said Marcial, who made no hint of an exact sanction that may be handed to the Elite.
Marcial said in Tuesday’s appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that violation of protocols will result in a fine of P20,000 for first offenders.
The PBA has been eyeing a resumption of practices on July 22, but that remains dependent on a couple of factors.
First, the PBA is still waiting for the formal guidelines that the Inter-Agency Task Force will send to the Games and Amusements Board despite getting the nod to resume training of pro basketball and pro football earlier this month.
Also, the league is also figuring out when teams can undergo swab testing under the facilities of San Miguel Corporation. It would be recalled that the PBA Board of Governors approved the suggestion of Alfrancis Chua to require swabbing as the only procedure to determine possible COVID-19 cases.
Sy said the team was able to hold practice for four hours which were split into groups of four people and two utility personnel.
IATF guidelines allow PBA ballclubs to divide training sessions into batches of five people under the General Community Quarantine guidelines and a maximum of 10 if the limitations are eased into a Modified General Community Quarantine.
“We are doing this in the meantime and let’s see if the PBA will give us instructions on how to further train in the future,” Sy said during the program.
