MANILA--If there is one major difference between the imposing of the enhanced community quarantine in Mega Manila last year and this year sports wise, that would be the fact that a domestic sporting event is happening within the duration of the total lockdown.
PCAP is pushing through with the holding of its national semifinals and the final for its inaugural event, the All-Filipino Conference this Holy Week.
With physical restrictions placed in hopes of containing COVID-19, chess matches pitting the top woodpushers locally and globally have been done online.
Because of this, PCAP found an avenue to hold its inaugural event amid the pandemic.
With that said, there is no stopping the world's premier professional chess league from happening even if the national government placed another lockdown in the heart of the Philippines.
"We're very fortunate that chess can be played over the board or online," Commissioner Paul Elauria said on Monday in an online press conference.
The PCAP All-Filipino Conference is now down to its last two playdates, the division finals on Wednesday night and the national final right on Black Saturday.
In the Northern Division, Laguna will take on San Juan, while in the South it is going to be Iloilo versus Camarines.
Based on how the playoffs had gone last week, Elauria is expecting more wild finishes and more intense battles as the Final 4 are now two steps closer to the national title.
"We expect even more exciting matches between Laguna and San Juan and between Iloilo and Camarines. These are the top four teams after the eliminations. These are ranked 1-2 in both divisions," he further said.
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