SBP issues basketball restart guidelines

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is ready to restart basketball activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) created the Return to Basketball program, SBP immediately drafted its new guidelines, ready to be imposed once given the green light by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“It is the intention that basketball will return by referring to the SBP guidelines and the lifting of restrictions by the government and public health authority,” SBP wrote.

If given the chance to execute their plans, the SBP will prioritize individual conditioning practices then bit by bit go to small group training.

The SBP is trying to catch-up and make something happen regarding the conditioning of Gilas Pilipinas after FIBA released the qualifying tournament’s schedule from August 25 to September 10, 2023.

Also, SBP aims to get back their 3×3 players on track whereas they will fall under small group training which may consist of 3-5 persons per area in a practice session.

“While all of us are eager to go back to playing the sport we all love dearly, the guidelines cannot overemphasize the need to have the safety, health, and well-being of our Philippine basketball family as paramount above all else,” SBP president Al Panlilio said.