AS the sporting community grapples to get back some sense of normalcy amid the ongoing episode with the coronavirus pandemic, local regulatory agencies for sports have moved to define professionals with the view of facilitating the orderly return of activities.
On Tuesday, the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) shared that they have come up with a joint resolution which provides guidelines on the definitions of a professional athlete and professional sports or competitions.
The agencies said the resolution seeks to rid confusion among stakeholders as they position their return-to-action plans.
It also serves as a guide for regulators in dispensing their duties in relation to the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2020-0001 crafted by the GAB and PSC along with the Department of Health.
The JAO, entitled “Guidelines on the Conduct of Health-enhancing Physical Activities and Sports during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” provides guidance for the conduct of physical activities, exercise and sports during the coronavirus pandemic.
“With this development, it is hoped that there will be no confusion of any kind among sports stakeholders and implementers in the future,” said GAB Chairman Abraham Mitra.
As per the GAB-PSC joint resolution, professional sports or competitions shall refer to individual or team sports, games, contest, bouts, tournament or competitions, whereby the participating athletes are paid sums of money or other forms of compensation as salary or prizes.
For the GAB and PSC, such distinction is important to be made since at the moment under guidelines set by the government, only professional sports competitions in areas classified as low risk during this time of pandemic are allowed to resume.
The holding of actual games for amateur sports, meanwhile, is still “suspended until such time effective vaccines or medicines are developed.”
Already made their return are the Philippine Basketball Association (Pampanga) and Chooks-to-Go 3×3 Pilipinas (Laguna) with the Philippines Football League (Cavite) following suit this weekend.
Boxing has also made its return with the first event happening early this month in Cebu.
“This joint resolution fulfils a very long felt need in the sports community — If an athlete gets paid and does not play for the flag, then he or she is a professional athlete,” said Mr. Mitra. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
