FIBA formulates guidelines for basketball's return

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has formulated its set of guidelines as they anticipate a return to action for the rest of the year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic today.

On its press release last Tuesday, FIBA has set its recommendations in a document entitled "RETURN TO BASKETBALL", in which it aims to restart of all competitions. However it has to be a slow process to facilitate in what has been a "new normal", in which it includes stringent measures and checklists and it will be a prerogative of the respective national federations (including the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas) to adopt it.

Among those recommendations are the distancing practices in and out of the venues and proper sanitation measures put in place at all times.

To prepare for the game to return, the leagues are also advised to set up health-based protocols such as mass testing and temperature checks for the players, game officials and other people deemed essential to the game.

FIBA Medical Commission chair Dr. Peter Harcourt developt the guidelines, in which he consulted the Medical Advisory Group as well as the Players Commission.

"This set of guidelines will be very beneficial for the basketball community in their return to our game," said FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis.  "FIBA remains committed to providing guidance for a safe environment for the 'Return to Basketball'."

Basketball was forced to halt all games since March, with various leagues around the world have stopped play.

While the NBA and others have planned their return, the Euroleague has announced that they have scrapped the 2019-20 editions of both their flagship league and the Euro Cup. 

Here in the Philippines, the game saw a complete stop with the notable casualties being the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation (CESAFI) cancelling its upcoming 2020 season and the dissolution of the TIP Engineers. 

Apart from those, the PBA and the MPBL have also halted their games with the latter is nearing the homestretch of the Lakan Season in which both of their Division Finals going the distance before restrictions nationwide caused the games to be postponed indefinitely. They have cited various reasons ranging from financial difficulties and their insistence of not restarting unless a vaccine is available.

File photo by MPBL