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Sad as the news of the cancellation of the upcoming UAAP season 83 might have been, the coaches in the men’s basketball division fully understood the logic of the league bosses when they made the tough decision.
“The highest governing body of UAAP has already decided. I have no doubt that they only took into account the best interest and safety of everyone when they made this decision,” said University of the Philippines coach Bo Perasol.
Adamson’s mentor, Franz Pumaren, added: “That’s the most important thing: the safety of the players, the school officials and everyone involved.”
The league finally ended talks about a hopeful resumption of the college season for the 2020-21 academic year and on Friday postponed the next UAAP staging for the upcoming athletic calendar.
Among those considered are a resumption in the first quarter of 2021, which was later moved to early April, as well as the bubble concepts that were observed, but were only limited to men’s basketball and women’s volleyball.
Since last season’s postponement last March, teams have retreated to the confines of their own homes, doing individual and, for some, virtual workouts as players tried to stay fit, ready anytime the light shines. green to return.
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“Our players have stayed in shape during the pandemic and have just been waiting for the guidelines to come out before we can practice. But we understand the position of the presidents,” said Far Eastern University coach Olsen Racela.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) finished drafting its guidelines, in coordination with the Higher Education Commission (CHED), for the resumption of collegiate leagues in the country on Friday.
Unfortunately, the UAAP stands firm.
Part of the reasons the league decided to abandon those plans is the continued ban on face-to-face classes, which was one of the main requirements demanded by the government for the resumption of collegiate and non-professional competitions.
For the UAAP, the risk of hosting games was too high considering the country’s ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, something the coaches saw head-on.
“We really need to keep our safety and the safety of our players as our top priority,” said Universidad del Este coach Jack Santiago. “If the Board believes that canceling the 83rd season is the best way to keep our players safe, then I support their decision 100 percent.”
Perasol agreed, noting: “I have always been on the side of caution, and if we cannot guarantee the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, media and staff when opening the season, why force it? An infected person “. it’s too much at this time of uncertainty. “
Still, the news left many question marks for everyone to answer, from when the UAAP plans to resume its games to the eligibility of its players and especially seniors.
“I also think about the graduate players,” Santiago said. “Season 83 was supposed to be their last year to show what they got.”
“I hope the Board will also consider adjusting the age cap next season and allowing graduating players to play their senior year. If we look at it now, most of the semi-pro leagues were also canceled, so the platform for these players show their talent is really lacking. I hope they can consider it because yung mga bata, hindi naman nila ginusto na magkaroon ng pandemic and mag-cancel ng events and yung senior year is very crucial when it comes to making a name for themselves for maka-transition is a professional. “
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Racela said it best, that for now, the only thing we can do is stay optimistic and pray that things go back to the way they were before.
“This pandemic has already affected so many lives and we continue to pray that it will finally end and we can get back to enjoying everything that has been put on hold, including college basketball,” he said.
