Planned PBA 'semi-bubble' in Pampanga gets support from coaches

Three PBA coaches—Norman Black, Chito Victolero, and John Cardel—are one with the league in its planned resumption of the 2021 Philippine Cup under a 'semi-bubble' format in Pampanga.

Black, who's at the helm of the Meralco Bolts, said they would do whatever is recommended for the conference to hit the restart button after getting suspended last August 3 due to Delta variant threat.

"I'm for anything," Black told GMA News Online in a telephone conversation. "Anything just to get back to the court. I mean, it's really difficult and there are people suffering but as far as the team is concerned, we will do whatever the PBA recommends."

Magnolia's Victolero and Terrafirma's Cardel shared Black's sentiment, saying they leave everything to the league and the management, just like they did in the previous conference.

"We have been in this similar position last year and we powered through," Victolero said in Filipino in a separate interview. "So, from what I see, we can also get through this challenge and we leave everything to them [management]."

Cardel added: "We are still in a wait-and-see mode but we will just follow whatever they decide on. But as of now, everything remains unclear."

Before the PBA called off the games, Magnolia was on top of the team standings with an immaculate 4-0 win-loss card while Black's Meralco was at third spot with 4-1.

Terrafirma, meanwhile, is second to the last with a winless 0-4 record.

It has been a little more than two weeks since the suspension but it could drag out even longer as PBA is still awaiting the approval of some government agencies and local government units.

League commissioner Willie Marcial, though, bared they are ready to formally cancel the conference altogether if ever the government orders them to do so.

Victolero, though, said that pushing through with the games could serve as a source of hope and entertainment for Filipinos.

"It's our way of giving back to our countrymen since, you know, we are dealing with this pandemic for so long now and I think PBA is like a source of hope and also an entertainment," he said.

—JMB, GMA News