IT was professional sports’ transfer of knowledge and exchange of ideas and best practices. Over the weekend, we were invited as one of the guests and members of the media, particularly the sportswriting and sports columnist community of the second Professional Sports Summit which was virtual.
One of the goals of the event was sustaining the comeback of professional sports through creative and innovative ways and means to protect the stakeholders.
Professional athletes both active and retired especially in billiards and boxing explained that the Covid-19 outbreak took away their source of livelihood as tournaments and fight sponsors stepped back to reevaluate their participation and support as the pandemic raged on.
In professional sports, sponsors and advertisers look for the sport’s calendar of events then choose which ones their products or services could get the mileage, exposure and eyeballs.
The Philippine Basketball Association, whose bubble is presently ongoing, and the recently concluded Chooks-to-Go 3×3 President’s Cup, were commended for successfully organizing bubble tournaments, therefore making sure that their sport remains relevant and satisfies the Filipinos’ insatiable appetite for sports content and action.
The summit ended with a press conference with active and retired professional athletes like two-division world boxing champion Gerry Penalosa and professional sports executives and officials like Philippines Football League Commissioner Coco Torre joining the discussions.
The summit provided an avenue and space for professional sports leaders to brainstorm, evaluate and reevaluate protocols and learn and relearn what other organizations and leagues are doing.
Professional sports is making a comeback, but it has and must be sustained with the guidance of health and science.