IN THE fight against Covid-19, the virus has taken the upper hand early against the Philippines Football League (PFL).
Having breached the immune defenses of at least five coaches and one coach from two clubs, the novel coronavirus, along with poor weather conditions, has forced the postponement of the 2020 PFL kickoff slated last Oct. 25, Sunday.
And yet the early detection of the infections through mandatory swab tests will ultimately prove favorable for all league participants who are now in a bubble set-up in a hotel in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
To overturn this early setback, organizers, stakeholders and the clubs must stick to the game plan with the goal of completing the compressed league that runs for fewer than two weeks.
“We have anticipated this scenario, hence there is a set of health and safety protocols in place for incidents such as this,” PFL Commissioner Coco Torre said in a press statement posted on the league’s website a day before the scheduled kickoff.
The good news is the clubs and the fans won’t have to wait long as the kickoff has been reset for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the same venue, the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.
In a follow-up statement released last Oct. 25, Sunday night, PFF president Mariano Araneta himself said: “We are happy to announce the kickoff of the 2020 PFL season on Wednesday. This is a big moment for everyone in the football community.”
With those who tested positive of the virus now in isolation, and with all the other players, coaches and staff testing negative following antigen tests, it seems it’s now all systems go.
That said, we hope for the quick and full recovery of the PFL participants who tested positive for Covid-19.
To defeat the coronavirus further, the PFL is determined to implement health and safety protocols for the duration of the league.
The pandemic has been the biggest challenge that Philippine club football has faced, but the entire PFL community looks poised to overcome this invisible but extremely lethal enemy.