The country’s hosting of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers will push through in June 2021.
This was after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the request of the Samahang Basketbol sa Pilipinas (SBP) to host the third window of the qualifiers in a “bubble-type” setting.
The games will be held in Clark, Pampanga.
The Philippine Sports Commission was tapped to monitor the event’s compliance with health protocols.
Aside from the Philippine national basketball team, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Guam will play in the Clark bubble.
Arriving foreign participants will be required to undergo testing procedures as required by FIBA, without prejudice to the entry travel restrictions listed by the Philippine government.
The IATF also said that hotels to be used to accommodate FIBA players would be barred from accepting outsiders.
The SBP welcomed the IATF’s decision, saying it had been working with FIBA and government agencies to ensure the successful and safe pushing through of the event.
“The SBP knows that Filipino basketball fans have waited a long time for this and we’re just as excited as they are to have international basketball in our country again,” it said.
The IATF has also approved the request of the Philippine Basketball Association to conduct its scrimmages and practice in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ. John Ezekiel J. Hirro