PSC eyes February resumption of national team training��

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez is eyeing a February resumption of training by the national team seeing action in this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and Asian Games (Asiad).

The return to practice was originally scheduled last Monday, but the seemingly unstoppable�� coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surge has resulted to the PSC postponing it to a later date.

“We can’t risk the lives of our athletes and coaches, that’s the reality,” said Mr. Ramirez in Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “If by February and it reaches its peak to 33,000 to 40,000 cases and goes down, there is a chance we could resume training.

“But, of course, we can only resume if IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) will allow it. We will pray that COVID-19 cases go down,” he added.

Mr. Ramirez though said there are other sports that have started their bubble training in areas where restrictions are more lenient.

“If it’s a bubble training and its outside Metro Manila and places with higher alert levels and not restrictive health protocol, they can resume training,” he said.

About eight sports venues are located at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig, 10-12 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and several more at Teacher’s Camp in Baguio.

The Nationals are preparing for the SEA Games slated for May 12-23 in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Asiad set on Sept. 10-25 in Hangzhou, China. — Joey Villar