MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) has approved the resumption of training in professional basketball and football.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the IATF-EID has only allowed the resumption of practices on the two team sports. The protocols include regular testing and only a minimum number of people present during the practices.
“Pinayagan na po ang practice at ‘yung conditioning ng basketball at football, sang ayon po sa request ng PBA at ng ibang football associations,” Roque said over at the Laging Handa virtual press conference yesterday.
The development came as Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Willie Marcial said that he plans to summon Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Japeth Aguilar and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ Adrian Wong for protocol violation.
Aguilar and Wong, along with Columbian Dyip’s George Isaac Go, Thirdy Ravena III of San-en NeoPhoenix in Japan and University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons’ Kobe Paras reportedly played in a five-a-side game at the Ronac Gym.
Aguilar was one of the players seen in the video that went viral online last Wednesday, while Wong was not seen in the clip but was among those picked with the players involved.
Meanwhile, the IATF-EID’s decision will also allow clubs under the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) umbrella to go back to training ahead of the league’s resumption this month./PN
