Give And Go
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
There is no denying that the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted the sporting world, particularly how the disease, which originated from Wuhan, China and has now affected different parts of the world, has forced stakeholders to adjust their calendars of events worldwide.
In the Philippines, a number of sporting events have been moved, or cancelled entirely altogether, on the advisory of health officials to prevent the further spread of the highly contagious disease.
While the move is completely understandable, still from my end it has affected me both as a fan and a sports journalist.
As a fan because there is hardly a sporting event to bask in and enjoy as a spectator, and as a sport journalist as there is not much to cover and write about.
One of the events hit by the COVID-19 is the 10th ASEAN Para Games which the country is hosting.
I certainly feel for the organizers of this event, particularly the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) which has been hard at work to have a successful staging of the Games.
It was supposed to happen in January this year, following the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in December, but was deferred to March after the Philippine Sports Commission, the body tasked to fund the event, said there was no money to stage the Games at that time.
Then came the COVID-19 which prompted the PSC to recommend to the PPC another postponement of the Para Games, which is now being eyed for a May or September staging.
Had the chance to see the PPC at work early on in the preparations for the Games, and it is really unfortunate to see the event get hit that way it has had.
The PPC is really trying to make sure that the staging will be as seamless as possible with all the para athletes competing taken care of, from accommodation to facilities to the equipment.
The Filipino athletes, too, are invested in it, looking forward to the March staging after its original schedule was deferred.
Para athlete Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta (powerlifting) shared that she and Team Philippines were saddened by the initial postponement and were really looking forward to the Games finally pushing through next month just as they have adjusted their training after “peaking” for the scheduled event in January.
Now another postponement.
Also hit by the COVID-19 is the volleyball tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for Season 82.
It is a tournament, which was supposed to start on Feb. 15, that has been generating a lot of buzz in the lead-up not only for the marquee women’s competition but also for the men’s side which the league is bent on giving more prominence this season, coming on the heels of the successful outing of the national men’s team in the SEA Games where it won a silver medal.
The league was also touting the competition to be an exciting one, with the field shored up and with enhancements designed to make the tournament engaging and efficient, including the use for the first time of the video challenge system.
Some fans were up and arms, particularly on social media, for the league’s postponement of the tournament to a still-to-be-determined date, and I would not blame them for feeling such initially considering that it all seems a go early last week until the UAAP reconsidered.
The league also postponed the men’s football tournament, which was set to begin on Feb. 16, softball tournament (Feb. 17), seniors baseball tournament (Feb. 19), athletics (Feb. 19–23), and judo (last week of February).
Following suit was the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which suspended indefinitely all seniors division games beginning Feb. 14, including the ongoing volleyball tournament.
Other collegiate leagues have also put activities on hold.
The Philippine Basketball Association has moved to makes changes to its calendar as well with the opening of Season 45 now happening on March 8 from March 1 while the PBA D-League will unravel on March 2 from Feb. 13.
The first home game of Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup was postponed too.
Gilas was to meet Thailand in a Group A match on Feb. 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Philippines’s next game — an away assignment against Indonesia on Feb. 23 — would push through, however, on FIBA’s recommendation.
Shelved as of the moment, too, is the cycling event PRURide PH 2020, which was scheduled to take place from March 11–15 at Mimosa Drive, Clark, Pampanga.
At the rate things are going, save for some events, regular sports action locally would happen in March at the very least, meaning more time for us of waiting.
I am sure the cancellations and postponements were a tough one to call for stakeholders but something that needed to be done for the safety and welfare of more people.
We just have to ride this out for the meantime and hope and pray that things get settled at the soonest possible time.
Keep safe everyone.
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
