EASL postpones home-and-away plan for Season I

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The East Asia Super League (EASL) will no longer push its desired home-and-away format that is set to kick off this season.

With laid-out schedules involving plans of PBA teams flying to South Korea for an away game and vice-versa, the home-and-away format is already one step away from reality but COVID-19 concerns once again forced the EASL committee to scrap the idea.

According to the initial schedule released by the EASL which was also approved by the PBA and commissioner Willie Marcial, the San Miguel Beermen are supposed to take on Rhenz Abando and his Korean Basketball League (KBL) club Anyang KGC on October 12.

The counterpart of this PBA away game is a home game rewarded to TNT Tropang Giga as they take on the Bay Area Dragons at the Mall of Asia Arena.

However, with the recent announcement, all games will no longer take place including the games in South Korea.

Matt Beyer, the CEO of EASL, announced that they are planning a grander stage for these games to happen and might kick off this 2023.

Instead of a monthly home-and-away game, Beyer and the rest of the EASL committee agreed that the possibility of staging a ‘Champions Week’ is already in the works.

“Our mission remains to create the premier basketball league and entertainment experience in Asia, elevating the sport in the region,” Beyer said.

Eyed teams to be invited to the tournament are San Miguel, Tropang Giga, Bay Area, Seoul SK Knights, Anyang, Utsonomiya Brex, Ryukyu, and Taipei Fubon.

“Controlling variables and operating our season in the most responsible manner reduces uncertainty for all our stakeholders as international travel throughout the region rebounds incrementally,” Beyer added.