UAAP Season 83 Men's Basketball To be Postponed if No COVID-19 Vaccine is Available

If things don't improve from here on, the Ateneo Blue Eagles won't be able to go for a rare four-peat this year.

As the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has already canceled all of the remaining second-semester events of Season 82 due to the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the UAAP Board isn't counting out the possibility of postponing the men's basketball tournament for Season 83 if no vaccine for COVID-19 is ready by then. Or, the season opener won't happen in September.

That is according to Season 82 President and Board Member Emmanuel Fernandez.

According to Fernandez who is also serving as Ateneo's assistant director for operations of the school's University Athletic Office, the reason behind the decision is simple: without the vaccine for COVID-19, there's always the possibility of people getting infected with the said virus. The UAAP is following the lead of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) who earlier this week announced the cancelation of all PSC-sanctioned sports events for the remainder of 2020.  But more importantly, the league will also depend on how early the classes will physically be allowed to take place as most of the country is under an enhanced community quarantine period which will run until May 15. For now. 

And even in those areas where the general community quarantine period is in effect, holding the actual classes in the classes is prohibited as doing so will be the opposite of what the government is telling people to do which is to practice social distancing. This would mean that teams wouldn't be allowed to train not to mention, the movements that are needed for the events to take place as mass gatherings aren't allowed under the community quarantine rules and regulations. 

While this move is inevitable considering how things are moving, it's for the safety of everyone, not just the players themselves There's also the possibility that we won't get a UAAP basketball season entirely if no vaccine is available by then. 

Photo is from Rappler