Organizers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) are looking at three possible venues to hold a competition bubble for the remaining games of the Lakan season once the government approves sports tournaments in the wake of the pandemic.
League commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said Smart Araneta Coliseum, Subic and a private property of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in Tanay, Rizal are among the venues they are taking into consideration.
The league has written to the Inter-Agency Task Force asking if they could resume the remaining season, which is already in the semifinal stage.
“Hinihintay na lang namin yung go signal nila, pero with the way things are going naman, doon na rin naman papunta. May mga naka-ready na naman kaming plans,” Duremdes said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
“Kaunting games na lang din naman yon, so it’s easy for us to set a bubble,” he said.
The Makati Super Crunch and San Juan Knights are competing for a spot in the National Finals in the North Division, while the Basilan Steel and Davao Occidental Tigers are battling in the South Division. Both series are already in the knockout stage of their respective best-of-three affairs.
The National Finals will be a best-of-five.
Duremdes said they are looking at holding the tournament bubble for a month, allocating more time for the teams to train after being laid off for months due to quarantine restrictions.
He added picking the venue is crucial.
“Mahirap mag-gamble pagdating sa pagpili ng venue kasi once sumablay ka, di lang yung liga yung maapektuhan. Yung health ng players and other leagues as well. Damay-damay yan kasi I’m sure baka ipatigil ng gobyerno yung ganung practice,” he said.
However, Duremdes noted the advantages of holding the bubble at Estrada’s private property due to its remoteness and privacy.
“Maganda dun kasi private, tapos malayo din. Maganda yung gym, yung rooms. Fit siya for a bubble lalo na at konting teams lang naman ang maglalaro,” he said.
Duremdes added they will notify concerned teams immediately once IATF clearance is granted.