By JEREMIAH SEVILLA
ANGELES CITY – PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said the league is allowing teams to have their injured players treated outside the bubble if the necessary facilities are not available in Clark.
Marcial said that resident doctor George Canlas must verify first that the treatment could not be done in the nearby Medical City, which is part of the bubble, before players can leave and return with the approval of Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Clark Development Corporation.
“Nagkausap-usap na ‘yung Board (of Governors) at nag-okay naman lahat. So ako naman, I’ll implement. Basta ‘yung mga injured na hindi magagamot dito dahil walang facilities,” said Marcial.
The PBA chief said this new guideline already got the nod from Vince Dizon, BCDA president and deputy chief implementer for the national action plan against Covid-19.
Same with the entry to the bubble, players who will complete their treatment and return will undergo strict health protocols.
However, the procedure of the re-entry is yet to be determined, with the BCDA having the final say on the new measures.
The PBA allows any departure of players or staff due to injury or personal matters. But the league had an initial rule that the bubble will keep its gates closed to an individual who exited the premises.
This is just one of the adjustments made on the fly as the league continues to adapt to its first-ever bubble setup.
“Nakikita nyo naman na ‘di pa tayo sanay sa ganitong sitwasyon. Learning experience para sa atin ‘to. Kung anong makakabuti, ‘yun ang gagawin natin,” said Marcial.
Several players went down with injuries just a week into the Philippine Cup restart.
Alaska wingman Kevin Racal suffered a complete ACL tear on his right knee while San Miguel guard Terrence Romeo already left the bubble with a dislocated right shoulder.
Other players who were injured in the opening week are TNT’s Kib Montalbo (plantar fasciitis) and Roger Pogoy (sprained ankle), NorthPort’s Kevin Ferrer (sore foot) and NLEX’s Jericho Cruz (sprained ankle).
