A PANDEMIC has put into peril livelihood of professional athletes with collegiate scholars grappling for funds on the heels of halted scholarships.
Baguio City was gearing to host the annual Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) where it dominated the annual sporting event for the past decade.
As the worldwide pandemic progressed, Baguio was unable to defend its title with the Caraa cancelled with the Palarong Pambansa, practically halting all sporting events from the amateurs, including the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) to the professional level.
Despite the community quarantines, athletes remain bullish they will return to competition soon as they try to take care of the community which patronized them in the past.
Giving back
Team Lakay distributed relief packs in Baguio City and nearby Benguet Province as part of efforts to reach out to the community.
Coach Christian Villareal of Tirbal Torogi, together with volunteers of Rush Action Movement, served home cooked meals for frontliners since the start of the quarantines while handing out vegetables to the needy in barangay of the Summer Capital.
Return to action
One Championship has completed three events in the midst of a pandemic with Team Lakay more than eager to return to action inside the cage.
Coach Mark Sangiao said no amount of lockdown can stop his fighters from improving their skills as they continue the training regimen from striking to ground and cardiovascular workouts, admitting they are growing weary of the health protocols on physical distancing.
"Hindi maiwasan na magkadikit dikit yung mga fighters during training at yung paggamit ng mga punching bag but we make sure and always remind them of physical distancing, and the usual disinfection," said Sangiao.
The former MMA fighter and SEA games wushu medalist added it was not easy for the squad to get sidelined but Team Lakay fighters remain optimistic.
"Tuloy-tuloy lang ang naging ensayo ng team kasi sabi ko we might get a call-up anytime sa ONE so mahirap naman pag wala sa kundisyon," added Sangiao.
Former world featherweight champion Honorio Banario was the last Team Lakay fighter to see action on ONE in February in a closed door event, scoring a hard earned split decision victory against Shannon Wiratchai.
Sangiao said despite the experience being surreal, getting used to it is a must, as a live audience is shunned from all sporting events across the globe to avoid spread of coronavirus infections.
Athletes need to eat too
Boxing promoter Brico Santig, meanwhile, hopes the sport will be allowed to return under the "new normal" even if this will mean closed door events for boxing promotion as long as fighters resume their livelihood.
"Hopefully, makapromote tayo dito sa Baguio at Benguet kasi medyo kontrolado Covid," Santig said.
So far, Santig had four promotions, one in Manila in February and three in Thailand.
With boxing and other contact sports put on hold due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, Santig said they will abide with whatever regulations the government will impose.
Santig was hoping to hold four more promotions in the different parts of the country, including two in Thailand from April to June, but all were canceled.
In a year, Santig usually promotes 15 to 20 events but his Highland Boxing Promotions had to put on hold all his planned promotions due to the pandemic, affecting his boxers who likewise stopped earning.
"Gutom talaga. Most boxers, my anak at pamilya umaasa lang sa boxing, kami din paralyze kami kasi gym, apartment rent at bills and foods almost P100,000 a month expenses," added Santig.
Bleak 2021 for local collegiate sports
While the world races to discover a cure for Covid-19, the 34th BBEAL edition faces a grim future with no sports funds for 11 member schools after the waiving of athletics fee for most schools due to the request of parents and teachers backed by the Baguio City Council.
University of the Cordilleras (UC) athletic director Danny Cong-o said schools are already hard up in providing scholarships to athletes due to the waiving of athletics fees amounting to about P400 per semester.
BBEAL is composed of UC, University of Baguio (UB), Saint Louis University (SLU), University of the Philippines (UP)-Baguio, Pines City College (PCC), Baguio Central University (BCU), Baguio College of Technology (BCT) and Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
The Benguet State University (BSU), Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) and Kings College of the Philippines both took a leave of absence during the 33rd season.
BSU was supposed to host this year. BBEAL opens usually on October.
Given the scenario, Santig is eyeing to stage a boxing match in November once the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Disease eases protocols in holding event, even without a live audience.
Sangiao, meanwhile, is looking forward to One Championship's return to the country and hopes to reclaim the glory, taken away by the pandemic.