GAMES and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham Kahlil “Baham” Mitra on Thursday, August 5, assured pro-athletes and officials of the agency's full support despite all the setbacks brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following Thursday’s meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Mitra stressed that GAB supports the temporary suspension of the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) conference at the Ynares Center in Pasig City due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila.
"We support the PBA's choice to suspend its ongoing conference. We also subscribe to the league's decision to transfer its venue from Pasig City to Batangas province. However, may we remind everyone to continually adhere to our public health standards and IATF's guidelines because we are facing a more contagious Covid-19 variant," Mitra said.
After taking a long hiatus, many of the GAB-sanctioned leagues have tried to launch their sports bubbles amid the challenges brought about by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Among these leagues are the National Basketball League/Women's National Basketball League (NBL/WNBL), the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. (PGTI), and the VisMin SuperCup with its Mindanao leg.
However, after the imposition of the stricter community quarantine in the National Capital Region and other nearby provinces and cities, many of these leagues have decided to put off their games.
The PGTI has decided to postpone its tournaments -- the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge on August 4-6, and the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship on August 11-13.
Meanwhile, the NBL and WNBL Season 2021-Senator Pia Cayetano Cup organizers have informed GAB that they have decided to defer their tournaments in the province of Pampanga.
Also, Gabriel (Bebot) Elorde Jr.'s Elorde International Promotions have moved their scheduled boxing promotions, which are supposed to be at the Flash Ballroom of ESC in Parañaque City, from August 7 to October.
The PVL and the VisMin Supercup Mindanao leg have opted to finish their tournaments sans reclassification of quarantine status in the province of Ilocos Norte and Pagadian City.