THE Inter-Agency Task Force has allowed the resumption of limited practices in the basketball and football professional leagues. Take note, the green light is only for the pro leagues, you still can’t have practices with your teammates.
The news is welcome for both the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Football League (PFL), which was supposed to have its third restart last March.
The PFL started with such great promise years ago, giving our players a shot at a professional career. However, teams struggled and over the years, major clubs like Loyola Meralco and Ilocos United folded up. The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) then signed a deal with a group to run the league, which was to be rebranded as the Philippine Premier League, which led to the owner of the Davao Agilas to dissolve the team. He offered his services to the PFF to run the league and when it wasn’t taken, he took his talents elsewhere.
Things looked bleak after that but late last year, PFF president Nonong Araneta announced a long-term deal with Qatar Airways as the new major sponsor for the PFL, which was supposed to hold its launching in March.
Then, of course, Covid-19 hit us.
In the past few months, hundreds of companies have closed shop, millions of Filipinos have lost their jobs and thousands more of Pinoys based overseas were forced to come home.
Airlines all over the world are cutting staff and expenses and it’s great that Qatar Airways will still be honoring its sponsorship deal with the Philippines, which, thanks to its “winning battle” against Covid-19, won’t have its citizens greeted by a welcome mat in other countries that really won the battle.
I have nothing but admiration for the teams still paying their players in the PFL and their sponsors. Under the current business climate, their move is nothing short of a sacrifice.
Most of us are under lockdown, and even the Pinoys lucky enough to be under relaxed quarantine rules are staying at home, going out only for essential purchases. For the PFL, that may be some sort of a silver lining as it finally resumes play, more people will get a chance to watch the games if the league decides to stream it.
Most of the PFL games are held mid-afternoon, when most of the fans are either still in school or at work. Perhaps the new setup means more bodies in front of phones or laptops?
I sure do hope so. The PFL plays and will play an important role in our football landscape.