BY GENALYN D. KABILING
The government is not yet confident in allowing the resumption of contact sports in community quarantine areas given the high number of coronavirus cases in the country, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
Nograles explained that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) has so far allowed only training sessions for basketball and football teams subject to health and safety protocols but not the actual games that require physical contact.
“Hindi pa tayo pumapayag sa contact sports (We have not yet allowed contact sports). In some areas those under MGCQ, pumapayag kami ng indoor sports pero non-contact. Basketball is a contact sport. Kahit anong gawin natin you know magkaka-contact talaga ang players (Regardless of what we do, the players will have contact),” he said during a live video session on Facebook Saturday.
“Dahil sa bilang COVID-19, hindi pa tayo kampante, hindi pa tayo confident enough to allow contact sports (Because of the number of COVID-19, we are not yet confident enough to allow contact sports),” he said.
As of Sept 12, the country has 257,863 COVID-19 cases with 4,292 deaths.
Nograles said emulating the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida will depend on the availability of sports facilities in the country. He noted that under the bubble concept, NBA has tested all players, housed them in one compound, and prevented them from leaving the place during the basketball season.
“Bakit wala pa tayo doon? Well, I think it has to do a lot about facilities. Mayroon ba tayong facilities to do the bubble? (Do we have the facilities to do the bubble?)” he said.
He said the task force is studying the proposals sent by sports and athletes’ associations on the possible resumption of the games.
“So slowly siguro. Let’s start with physical conditioning. Habang nagte-training ang mga athletes, baka may makita tayong other proposals. Of course, itong mga athletes, associations are sending proposals na pinag-aaralan natin (We’ll take it slowly. Let’s start with physical condition. While the athletes are training, we may see other proposals. Of course, the athletes and other associations are sending proposals that we are studying),” he said.
“Let’s take it one step at a time. Dito muna tayo conditioning saka na natin pag-usapan ang practice with scrimmage, then saka na natin pag-usapan ang actual games (Let’s take it one step at a time. Let’s start with conditioning, then let’s talk about practice with scrimmage and eventually the actual games),” he said.
The IATF recently allowed the resumption of conditioning sessions of student-athletes in areas under general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine. Allowed to resume preparatory training are athletes of collegiate athletic associations.
“Pinapayagan lang namin so far ‘yung conditioning, training. Hindi puwede ‘yung scrimmage. So ‘yung CHED (Commission on Higher Education) nasa kanila ang authority to come up with guidelines para guided lahat ng mga teams (We’ve allowed only so far conditioning training. Scrimmage is not allowed. So CHED has the authority to come up with the guidelines for all teams),” Nograles said.
At present, outdoor non-contact sports and other forms of exercise such as walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian, range shooting, and skateboarding are allowed in general community quarantine areas. Both indoor and outdoor non-contact sports are allowed in areas under modified GCQ. Spectators however are prohibited in watching these sports activities.
On the case of Aldin Ayo, former head coach of University of the Santo Tomas men’s basketball team, Nograles said the IATF has deferred to the CHED to address the matter. Ayo has been prevented from participating in all UAAP events amid his role in the Sorsogon bubble where players held a training camp in his home town.
Nograles admitted that while he was saddened by Ayo’s ban in the UAAP, the IATF has no jurisdiction over the college basketball league’s actions. He said the task force instead let the CHED to issue guidelines on the practice sessions of the UAAP players.
