HEALTH HAZARD
Coaches cold on workout restart
If we conduct practices in other areas, I think the risk is still the same. We are still vulnerable to the virus
Although they are looking forward to reunite with their respective players, three Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coaches remain reluctant over training restart, especially now that the number of coronavirus cases in the country continues to soar.
Leo Austria of San Miguel Beer, Louie Alas of Phoenix Super LPG and Nash Racela of Blackwater yesterday said they would rather have their players stay at home than be physically present in trainings – even if it would be held in low-risk areas as what the league is seriously contemplating.
An eight-time champion coach, Austria said their exposure to the deadly disease that had already infected more than 112,000 individuals in the country remains the same regardless of whether they train in areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) or general community quarantine.
He said the most important thing at this point is to keep themselves and their respective families safe.
“If we conduct practices in other areas, I think the risk is still the same. We are still vulnerable to the virus,” said Austria, who fell short of winning the grand slam crown last year.
We have to make sure that they are still following the guidelines even if they are training outside Metro Manila or other MECQ areas.
“This is a very tough time and being away from your family and loved ones, especially if you are the head of the family, makes it even tougher.”
The PBA is planning to restart training and conditioning sessions amid the imposition of MECQ in Metro Manila.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said they were already given the green light by the Games and Amusement Board, which stressed that they would allow teams to move their training in low-risk areas provided that they would submit their training protocols and undergo swab testing.
Insiders said teams are mulling to train in seclusion in low-risk areas like Pampanga, Quezon Province, Naga City, Bacolod City and Baguio City.
NLEX, for one, is reportedly toying with the idea of putting up a training camp in Pampanga, the province of its coach — Yeng Guiao.
“But we still have to subject players and team staff to swab testing as well as see the health and safety protocols they are planning to enforce,” said Marcial, adding that the swab testing that was initially scheduled on 6 and 7 August was pushed back to 20 and 21 August. San Miguel Corporation teams, meanwhile, have yet to set the date of their swab testing. “We have to make sure that they are still following the guidelines even if they are training outside Metro Manila or other MECQ areas.” Still, Austria remains hesitant. “We have been doing home workouts and individual trainings so I don’t see any problem if we do it again for another two weeks,” Austria said.
“That’s our stand now. Unless there’s a directive from the management, we will stand by it.”
Alas agreed, saying that they will not risk anything and will just do what they have been doing since the country was placed under enhanced community quarantine in the second week of March.
“We have no plans of training as of the moment. Our priority is to just stay at home and conduct a team Zoom workout,” Alas said. “Even if we are super excited to have at least a small group workout, it’s really safety first.” Racela, for his part, stressed that they would just wait for the MECQ to lapse before plotting their next steps. “We received the memorandum, but at this point, we are not planning to conduct practices in non-MECQ areas and would rather wait for the two-week period to lapse,” he said.
“We might reconsider if MECQ gets extended after 18 August.”