THE Clark Freeport Zone looms as the strongest candidate venue for the planned “bubble” for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to resume its 45th season that was shuttered by the Covid-19 pandemic in March.
“Three things: first, we have the rooms—the accommodation by hotels in Clark that can entail 12 teams. So that’s about 400 to 500 people,” NLEX Road Warriors Coach Yeng Guiao said recently.
Clark is a premier business hub and a preferred tourist destination that is home to top-grade hotels that could potentially accommodate all 12 teams of the PBA.
The top hotels include Marriott Hotel, Widus Hotel and Casino, Royce Hotel, Midori Hotel, among others. It is also host to the best golf courses in the country where players could enjoy the fairways in between games and practices.
“Second, Clark is gated. It is self-contained so safety and health protocols can be easily implemented there,” Guiao added.
According to Guiao, the accessibility of Clark is also a huge factor.
“Third is proximity. It’s close to Manila and other places as well. In case one of the players has a family emergency, they can easily get out of the bubble so it’s a factor,” Guiao said.
Guiao, however, said the decision to determine the “bubble” lies on the PBA board of governors and Commissioner Willie Marcial. The PBA is also looking at Subic, Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, El Nido in Palawan, the Smart Araneta Coliseum and even Dubai as possible venues for the “bubble.”
PBA out-of-town games in Pampanga are usually held at Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center.
Guiao pushed for Clark as a venue of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last December.
“We already saw it last year. Some games happened in Clark. Again, for the same reason, because it is conveniently located, there are plenty of open spaces, we have the facilities—first-class hotels, we have the expertise—people who are highly educated and know how to handle such sporting events and we also have a lot of sports fans there,” he said.
The PBA intends to pattern its “bubble” with the National Basketball Association (NBA) model, wherein all players from every team, including staff, officials and other people involved, will stay in a “bubble.”