SPORTS TOURISM IS ALIVE: It Only Takes Two to Bubble

By Charles Lim

While the world hold it’s breath and focus it’s attention on Tokyo in the coming weeks, even the most optimistic, have apprehensions if the 2020 Summer Olympics, delayed for a year, will ever begin on July 23. Exhale.

The International Olympic Council (IOC) and the games machinery is ready on the the blocks. The Japanese Government and the Tokyo Games Host Committee (TGHC), though brimming with steadfastness and rudimentary commitment, are, at best, cautiously optimistic. How do you deal with a situation when the majority of your citizens are against holding of the Games?

Both Tokyo and Osaka are under emergency lockdown until June 30 due to a spike of COVID cases of multiple variants.

With less than 50 days to go, the athletes have started to arrive. Visibly featured, on arrival,  was the women’s softball team from Australia. The Jamaican football team failed some health protocols so were unable to enter as scheduled last week. Thousands of athletes will already be in Japan before June 30.

How safe can Tokyo be with 12,000 athletes and officials from all over the world, including the most affected COVID19 hot spots, descending upon them?. The IOC and TGHC believe it will be safe. The athletes will all be at the Games Village at the Bayside and will be transported back and forth to their games venues. All athletes are encouraged to be vaccinated before leaving home and will be tested frequently while in Japan .No foreign spectators are allowed to the Games. No decision yet if Japanese spectators will be allowed into the venues.

For a sports event, big or small, to happen, it requires a bubble and it needs only two to bubble. For the Tokyo Games, basically it will be the IOC and the Japanese Host Committee. The Japanese government has given their approval and laid down the conditions for the Games to happen.

Half the world away, Euro 2020 will be happening this month featuring the top European footballing nations. Again, for it to happen, it was an agreement between UEFA and the host nations. Several bubbles were created.

Our AZKALS are locked in battle in Dubai this week in a FIFA World Cup qualifying round. Creating this bubble for them to be there with the national teams of China, Guam, Maldives and Syria were FIFA and the UAE.

Here at home, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and Clark created a similar bubble to bring the FIBA  Asian Cup qualifiers to our shores to show that sports tourism is so much alive. Nine countries – Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Guam  and host nation, the Philippines will play ball from June 16 to 20, 2021 in very tight fixtures only in one venue – the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center (AUF).

All the 265 players, FIBA and SBP officials will be accommodated at the Quest Hotel inside Clark. PLDT, Smart, TV5 crew and ancillary staff will be billeted in just one more hotel.

As early as now, local personnel and even hotel staff, drivers and AUF staff (the venue) are already being tested and under quarantine also inside Clark.. All players, officials, organizers, room boys, waiters, janitors, etc – everyone in the bubble will repeatedly be tested of COVID. I suppose it is also safe to presume that they too have been vaccinated.

From my experience in holding the 4th Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) in Clark a few months ago, I had the distinct honor of working with the President and CEO of Clark Development Corporation, PB Gen Manual Gaerlan who is Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for this FIBA Qualifiers, Mr Arrey Perez, Vice President of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Ms Noemi Julian , the Manager of the Clark Tourism Office and Engr Mariza Mandocdoc, CDC Vice President for Finance and Admin Group

Assurances of the safety of the of the bubble were reinforced with the presence of Mr Sonny Barrios, the Executive Director of SBP and Secretary Vince Dizon of the powerful Integrated  Agency Task Force (IATF) tackling the COVID pandemic, as advisers. Both gentlemen too featured prominently in the last PSTA.

Clark has not been named Sports Tourism  Destination of the Year thrice for nothing. They earned every award that came their way.

Those of you having plans of a major sports event, bubble training and scrimmages in your locality  during this pandemic, don’t despair. This template of the bubble is somewhat working well everywhere. It needs determination, desire, discipline and dedication.

Just In: t’s heartening to hear that Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte is hosting the volleyball national team  training way up north. Great move by Ramon “Tats” Suzara, President of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation and Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc.  Who’s next? It only takes two to bubble.

Charles Lim is the founder and chairman of the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards. He has been an advocate of sports tourism since 2004 with the inception of the Sports Tourism Forum – a popular seminar for those in the sports and tourism industries – which is presently still ongoing. He can be reached at charles.selrahco@gmail.com.