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The MPBL semifinal deciders are finally happening. MPBL (file photo) |
MANILA--After a long wait, the PSL and the MPBL bubbles are finally happening.
The Inter-Agency Task Force allowed the said leagues to go ahead with their respective tournaments in Subic Bay.
The PSL will hold the 2021 Gatorade-PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup from Feb. 26-28, while the MPBL is planning to finish its national playoffs by early March.
The two leagues had earlier expressed their intent to stay as de jure amateur, which kept them from playing on amid the COVID-19 pandemic as only professional leagues are allowed to push through in a bubble setting.
But Baham Mitra, the chairman of the Games and Amusements Board, the governing body on professional sports, confirmed on Monday that the PSL and the MPBL bubbles have been approved.
"We thank the IATF for allowing the resumption of non-professional sports competitions in areas under MGCQ (modified general community quarantine)," Mitra said.
He then called on all the sports leagues to continue to adhere to the protocols set amid the pandemic.
"We would also like to call for solidarity and ask other sports leagues, whether professional or non-professional, to continually comply with the health and safety guidelines in order to avoid the possible transmission of COVID-19, as this fight is not only ours but of the entire sports community," Mitra further said.
He also hopes that the other leagues that were postponed due to the pandemic will finally push through so that the athletes and their families can be sustained financially.
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