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PBA looking to buy COVID vaccines through Red Cross, eyeing AstraZeneca shots

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ABS-CBN News

<h3>East Asia Super League participation on hold</h3><p>PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Thursday said the league was keen to acquire COVID-19 vaccines through the Philippine Red Cross. </p><p>As far as which team members will get shots, it was not clear, although Marcial said the plan could extend to include their families.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/28/21/pba-gives-fil-foreign-draft-applicants-more-time-to-submit-requirements">PBA gives Fil-foreign draft applicants more time to submit requirements</a></li></ul><p>“Inatasan ako ng board na kumuha ng vaccine through Red Cross. Sa mga teams, halos lahat ng teams, at baka kasama families,” Marcial said in a press briefing.</p><p>“Kasi may katumbas ’yun. Usapan namin ng Red Cross, ’pag bumili ka ng isa, ’yung isa do-donate mo.</p><p>“So ganoon ang gagawin natin, so susulat ako sa Red Cross, kay Senator (Richard) Gordon na x amount of vaccine ang ire-request.”</p><p>Marcial said by reaching out to the Red Cross the league could get AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines, but previous reports said the nonprofit group has only been engaged in talks with AstraZeneca and Pfizer.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/05/21/philippine-red-cross-in-talks-with-pfizer-astrazeneca-to-procure-covid-19-vaccines">Philippine Red Cross in talks with Pfizer, AstraZeneca to procure COVID-19 vaccines</a></li></ul><p>A vaccine would go a long way in ensuring the PBA doesn’t play a truncated season the way it did in 2020 and that the 12 clubs don’t bleed any more money. </p><p>Marcial added that COVID-19 shots were needed, too, if PBA teams want to participate in the East Asia Super League. </p><p>Last August, the PBA held discussions with EASL organizers, after it signed a 10-year deal with FIBA to run an annual league for the top professional clubs in East Asia and the Philippines.</p><p>PBA teams have regularly participated in EASL competitions since it was founded in 2016, with NLEX, San Miguel Beer, Blackwater, and TNT Tropang Giga among the squads to have played in the Terrific 12 tournament as part of their preseason preparations.</p><p>But EASL events will have a new format now that it has partnered with FIBA Asia. </p><p>In October 2021, it will launch a new competition, where the region&#x27;s top 8 teams will compete in a home-and-away group stage. It will culminate in a final 4 in February to determine the champion, runner-up, and third-place team.</p><p>With the pandemic, the 2 leagues&#x27; plans could change.</p><p>According to Marcial, he has spoken to PBA team representatives and they agreed a vaccine must be in play first before they go ahead with competition. </p><p>“Naka-hold muna the decision to join East Asia hanggang wala pang vaccine,” Marcial said.</p><p>“Kapag andiyan na ang vaccine, mag-uusap ulit kami with East Asia. Hindi namin kino-close &#x27;yung door.” </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1609005" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Thursday said the league was keen to acquire COVID-19 vaccines through the Philippine Red Cross. </p>

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Thursday said the league was keen to acquire COVID-19 vaccines through the Philippine Red Cross.