PBA resumes operations as teams begin practices

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philippine Basketball Association is nearing its return to action as teams were already given the green light to go back to their respective practices.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the latest move and announced three practice venues for the teams.

The Beverly Place in Mexico, the Colegio de Sebastian in San Fernando, and the AUF Gym in Angeles will be graced by the PBA teams and will be opened only for their practices.

Another good news came when the amiable commissioner confirmed that the 2021 PBA PH Cup will be resuming at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor instead of the Angeles University Foundation where the last bubble was held.

Due to the recent changes in the game venue, the league will still be following a strict closed-circuit or semi-bubble format to control the players’ and the coaches’ movements.

The halted season was under the same format with players still following strict measures but another COVID-19 scare intruded the playing venue when some players playing for the TNT Tropang Giga tested positive.

Games were again scrapped and schedules were altered after the first recorded positive cases last month but no spike was recorded after.

Aside from commissioner Marcial, Pampanga governor Dennis Pineda also confirmed the news and was the one who gave the go signal for the usage of the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym.