By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Philippines Football League has completed the first step to resuming practice sessions for all the teams after recording 0 cases of COVID-19 among all the players and staff.
A total of 155 Philippine football players, team staff, and PFL personnel were tested for days and results showed that not a single person contracted the virus.
With the outcome, the PFL is now working its way in resuming all team practices after passing their first requirement which is to clear all teams from the virus through mass testing.
“We’re ready. The national training center is ready to receive the first clubs to train,” said PFF secretary-general Atty. Edwin Gastanes.
However, even if the PFL management is ready to offer the practice sessions to all teams, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases is yet to release the final guidelines for the health protocols to be observed during practices.
“The Joint Administrative Order (JAO) will be issued anytime within the next few days upon the direction of the IATF,” added Atty. Gastanes.
The PFL management also decided to make the training sessions a closed stadium type but will most likely be livestreamed so that the sports media can monitor what’s happening, confirmed the PFF secretary-general.
“We need them (the players) to go back to their max fitness before we ask for the approval for the start of competition, and the season will be shortened because of the pandemic,” closed Atty. Gastanes.
