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'PBA's return will give hope to Pinoys, other sports leagues'

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/01/31/013120_willie-marcial.jpg"/></figure></div> MANILA, Philippines -- Commissioner Willie Marcial believes that the return of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will give hope to Filipinos that the country is getting back on its feet after dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.Like virtually all sporting events, the PBA was forced to stop because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The league had just opened its 45th season on March 8 when they halted all activities three days later to help curb the spread of the disease. Three months later, the PBA began taking steps towards its return. They have submitted a set of protocols to the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Health on teams&#x27; return to practice, and several squads have already undergone testing for COVID-19. All 41 <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/09/20/pba-employees-test-negative-for-coronavirus-says-commissioner">PBA employees were tested</a> as well, and Marcial reported on Tuesday that no member of the PBA family has thus far been positive. This is just one reason that Marcial is optimistic that the government will give them the go-signal to return to practice, and eventually allow the league to hold games again later this year.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/ufc/news/2020/06/10/ufc-fight-island-revealed-abu-dhabi-will-host-4-shows-68685">READ: UFC &#x27;Fight Island&#x27; revealed in Abu Dhabi, will host 4 shows</a></li></ul>&quot;Seven to 8, sa akin, ang matutuloy,&quot; Marcial said during Tuesday&#x27;s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum, when asked how hopeful he was on a scale of one to 10. &quot;Seven, hanggang 8. Ako, talagang inaano ko na makakalaro pa talaga tayo, kahit isang conference this year.&quot;The stoppage has had a massive impact on the PBA. According to Marcial, they have lost some P30 million a month since putting the All-Filipino Conference on hold -- a conservative estimate. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/09/20/pba-losing-at-least-p30m-a-month-amid-pandemic">FULL STORY: PBA losing at least P30M a month amid pandemic</a></li></ul>While returning to action will help alleviate some of these losses, Marcial said at this point, it&#x27;s no longer about their earnings or finances.&quot;Ang ano lang, makalaro tayo, makapagbigay ligaya sa fans,&quot; he said. &quot;Pag nakapaglaro na ang PBA, parang ito na &#x27;yung pag-asa. &#x27;Uy, andito na &#x27;yung PBA, medyo okay-okay na atang lumabas, medyo okay (na).&#x27;&quot;&quot;So sa atin, parang nagbibigay tayo ng pag-asa sa lahat, hindi lang sa sports, na makita tayo. At &#x27;yun nga, makabigay tayo ng saya, kasi madami na ngang nananabik na sa basketball,&quot; he added.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/sports/01/07/20200107-ginebra-meralco.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div>What&#x27;s more, the return of the PBA will likely herald the return of sports in the country as a whole. As PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro put it, their league &quot;will be a gauge&quot; for the other sporting organizations in the country.The Philippine Football Federation has also submitted its protocols to the government, with president Mariano &quot;Nonong&quot; Araneta hoping for their sport&#x27;s gradual return, too. The Philippines Football League was supposed to kick off in March but instead has been indefinitely suspended because of the pandemic.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/03/20/football-pff-boss-hopes-clubs-can-be-allowed-to-practice-soon">READ: PFF boss hopes clubs can be allowed to practice soon</a></li></ul>The Philippine Superliga was forced to cancel its Grand Prix, while the Premier Volleyball League has yet to announce its return date.&quot;&#x27;Pag pinayagan ang PBA, hindi lang basketball, baka lahat ng sports, dahan-dahan na na papayagan &#x27;yan,&quot; said Marcial.&quot;So malaking bagay talaga itong ginagawa natin, ginawa ng PBA, na sana payagan. &#x27;Pag pinayagan tayo, dahan-dahan pati ibang sports, hindi lang basketball, matutulungan natin,&quot; he added.&quot;We can set a model for other events,&quot; said Castro, for his part. &quot;So ayun, I hope na ma-consider ng IATF &#x27;yung request natin. It will be step by step. Again, practice, then later on, kung mag-MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) na tayo, we can proceed to our games.&quot;Metro Manila remains under general community quarantine, which still forbids mass gatherings such as sports events as well as contact sports. The PBA has yet to receive a formal response from the IATF and the DOH, although Marcial said that &quot;informal feedback&quot; has been positive. The commissioner also made it clear that the league is ready to amend their protocols should the task force demand it.&quot;Oo naman, basta matuloy lang &#x27;yung practices, matuloy &#x27;yung game,&quot; he said. &quot;Kung ano sabihin ng task force, kung ano sabihin ng gobyerno, susundin namin.&quot;<div>(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>).</div>

Commissioner Willie Marcial believes that the return of the PBA will give hope to Filipinos that the country is getting back on its feet after dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Willie Marcial believes that the return of the PBA will give hope to Filipinos that the country is getting back on its feet after dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

'PBA's return will give hope to Pinoys, other sports leagues'

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'PBA's return will give hope to Pinoys, other sports leagues'

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 10, 2020 01:20 PM PHT

Read More:

Philippine Basketball Association

PBA

Willie Marcial

coronavirus

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