PFL looks to finalize preps as 2020 season nears

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

The Philippines Football League is already mapping out the final preparations after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases gave the green light for football and basketball clubs to resume practice.

PFL commissioner Coco Torre said that all members of the participating clubs are undergoing COVID-19 testing as the first step before practicing.

“This is a procedural requirement for them to resume training. Once you are negative, then they may immediately train. This is a big step for us to kick off the league. Hopefully in due time we will be given the go-signal to play,” Torre said.

Philippines Football Federation General Secretary Atty. Ed Gastanes also shared their plans, stating that they are considering a single-venue for all the games in the upcoming season to lessen the risk of infection.

The venue they are talking about would be the PFF Training Center in Carmona and they will be imposing strict health protocols especially that this will be the first season that Qatar Airways will be sponsoring the PFL.

“This is the first season of the league where it will be helped by sponsor Qatar Airways. They just reconfirmed their faith and their help for the fourth season of PFL,” said Gastanes.

The target date for the 2020 PFL season would be on August 15, 2020.