PBA to meet on Friday regarding bubble format

The PBA is now eyeing a bubble similar to that of either the NBA or the Bundesliga for the season restart. PBA Images (file photo)
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—The PBA board of governors will convene on Friday to ultimately decide on the fate of the postponed season.

However, it seems like it is very likely that the board will move to push through with the season as Commissioner Willie Marcial bared on Monday that the main agenda of the meeting will be the planned bubble.

"Idi-discuss kung anong klaseng bubble—kung katulad sa NBA o sa Bundesliga," Marcial said in a joint press conference between the PBA, PFL, Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3, Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board, and the Commission on Higher Education.

The NBA resumed its season in a full bubble, in which 22 teams that had a shot at making the playoffs were brought inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando to play there.

The bubble will last until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga applied a so-called "closed circuit" just for its season to resume.

While the Bundesliga went away with a complete bubble and let the home and away format continue on, its resumption protocols became the pattern for other regional leagues regardless of the sport to restart.

Despite not being home and away in essence, the PBA is also considering the Bundesliga format.

Marcial added that 17 hotels have reached out to the PBA to become the billeting stations of the teams and league officials should the league resume through a bubble format.

He also said that the league has already sought for clearance from the Inter-Agency Task Force to resume scrimmages later this month ahead of a possible October restart.

GAB invited Marcial, PFL commissioner Coco Torre, and Chooks 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano to present the health protocols they put up during the practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic to CHED.

CHED looks to pattern its planned training protocols for collegiate teams to those of the professional leagues.

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