THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), in its Resolution 68, has formally approved the resumption of preparatory training of student-athletes of collegiate athletic associations as defined under Republic Act 10676 or the Student-Athletes Protection Act but only in areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ subject to the guidelines as may be issued by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).
It was recalled that Ched Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III, during a joint virtual press conference last Monday, said that the commission will be forming a Technical Working Group (TWG) that will craft the guidelines in allowing the training of collegiate athletes.
The TWG will be composed of Ched, the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusement Board, Department of Health, and representatives of collegiate leagues like the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), State Colleges, and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA), and Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa), De Vera said.
As the commission wanted to ensure that collegiate teams will follow the regulations to ensure that strict health protocols are implemented, the Ched chief has clarified that allowing of collegiate training does not mean that there will be face-to-face classes.
“This is just to allow the collegiate athletes to train so their mental health and physical well-being will be enhanced,” he explained.
De Vera also stressed that they will get inputs from pro-leagues like the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Chooks to Go 3X3, and the Philippine Football League (PFL) where many of the best practices of these leagues were taken from those used by international sports bodies.