THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) postponed for next Wednesday its return-to-training order for its teams as the league has yet to officially get hold of health and safety protocols from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial ordered the postponement after he was informed by Games and Amusements Board Chairman Baham Mitra that the Administrative Order from the IATF would only be released this week.
The IATF tasked the Philippine Sports Commission and GAB to closely coordinate with the Department of Health in the formulation of health and safety protocols for athletes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There’s a little delay but we’re positive we’ll go on with the training return,” Marcial said.
The PBA drew its own protocols but these need the approval of the IATF.
The league announced earlier that the 12 teams could return to supervised training on Wednesday. The protocols include periodic rapid or swab tests, social distancing, wearing of face mask, training in gyms by batches (not by teams) and frequent disinfection of training facilities.
Marcial also ordered players, coaches and team staff to follow a home-car-gym-car-home policy. He said violators will be meted fines ranging from 5,000 to first-time offenders and as much as P10,000 to recidivists depending on how many times they violate the rules.