PBA fans will be barred from watching the season-ending Governors’ Cup which will finally kick off on Dec. 8 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said Monday, Nov. 29 that the league decided to temporarily keep the games under a closed-door environment while they are working with Local Government Units on arrangements once fans are allowed entry into the venues.
The league had been working on the possible return of fans for the import-flavored conference, with Marcial anticipating a limited capacity as part of protocols against the spread of COVID-19.
“Kasalukuyan tayong nakikipagusap mga LGUs at tayo ay umasa na mapagbibigyan ang ating kahilingan na pahintulutang makapasok at makapanood ang ating mga fans ng laro,” Marcial said.
Marcial is scheduled to meet with LGU officials from Pasay City, the site of the Mall of Asia Arena and the Cuneta Astrodome.
The PBA also bared that MOA, the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Ynares Center in Antipolo City and the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City are being eyed as venues.
Araneta has already opened its doors to events after it was used as a vaccination site while MOA, which was previously a testing facility of the Philippine Red Cross, is set to host the MPBL Invitational in mid-December.
PBA fans were last seen in March 2020 as the pandemic forced the league to stage a full bubble in Clark last year and a closed-circuit setup at Ynares Pasig and later at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The Governors’ Cup was initially eyed for a Nov. 28 opening, but that target was scrapped due to delays in the arrival of all imports from the 12 teams.
But it appears that all foreign players have been accounted for, either in the process of completing their mandatory quarantine period or have already joined their respective teams’ practices.