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MPBL eyes long preseason, return to home-and-away format in 2022

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="MPBL" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/11/10/mpbl.jpg"/></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- After seeing its tournaments be severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) targets a return to normal operations in 2022.This, according to MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes who explained that they intend to hold a &quot;long&quot; preseason before ushering in a formal tournament in June next year.&quot;May mga plans na tayo,&quot; assured Duremdes during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.The MPBL&#x27;s 2019-20 season was postponed in March 2020, when they were already in the playoffs, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They only resumed a year later, with the rest of the playoffs being played in a bubble in Subic.The Davao Occidental Tigers emerged as champions of the Lakan Cup.The league has gone through a major revamp since then, with Chooks-to-Go taking over the MPBL&#x27;s operations. The MPBL is also in the process of turning professional, and an invitational tournament will be held in December to &quot;reignite&quot; the league.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/18/21/mpbl-invitational-open-to-collegiate-players-fil-fors">READ: MPBL Invitational open to collegiate players, Fil-fors</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/16/21/mpbl-eyes-dec-11-for-opening-of-invitational-tourney">READ: MPBL eyes Dec. 11 for opening of invitational tourney</a></li></ul>&quot;After nitong invitational, magre-rest tayo ng January lang,&quot; said Duremdes.&quot;We&#x27;re planning to have a long preseason come February. &#x27;Yun ang preseason natin. Hopefully, mag-run siya ng two to three months, and then break tayo ng one month before sa opening ng June natin, &#x27;yung proper tournament,&quot; he added. &quot;So &#x27;yun ang mga initial plans natin ngayon.&quot;The invitational tournament will be held in a centralized venue -- likely the Mall of Asia Arena -- and the same will be true of the preseason.However, for the regular season Duremdes is hopeful that they can return to their usual home-and-away format, which saw teams travel all over the Philippines for games.&quot;&#x27;Yung preseason baka dito lang, strictly Metro Manila lang muna. But &#x27;yung 2022 season natin, &#x27;yung regular season, doon pa rin tayo sa home and away format,&quot; he said.&quot;So &#x27;yung mga players, again, magbi-busy na &#x27;yan for next year. Alam nila na okay na ang ano natin, ang situations, okay na. By that time siguro allowed na rin &#x27;yung mga crowd. So, basta ang mga players mag-ready lang sila dahil may mga naka-plano na ang MPBL for 2022,&quot; Duremdes also said.

After seeing its tournaments be severely affected by the pandemic in the past two years, the MPBL targets a return to normal operations in 2022.

MPBL eyes long preseason, return to home-and-away format in 2022

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MPBL eyes long preseason, return to home-and-away format in 2022

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 18, 2021 05:43 PM PHT

Read More:

basketball

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

MPBL

COVID-19 pandemic

Kenneth Duremdes

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