NAGHAHANDA na ang National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), ang pinakamatandang collegiate league sa bansa, para sa pagbubukas ng Season 97 kung saan target ng mga opisyal nito na magsagawa ng face-to-face competitions sa basketball at volleyball sa Pebrero ng susunod na taon.
Matapos ang matagumpay na pagdaraos ng Season 96 sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang online tournaments ng host school Letran, puntirya ng susunod na host ng season na College of St. Benilde na idaos ang mga laro nang in-person.
Sinabi ni NCAA Management Committee (MANCOM) incoming chairman Dax Castellano na nasa planning stage na ang liga para sa calendar of events nito para sa Season 97.
“The resumption of competition is in February. We agreed on the level of the Management Committee (to do face-to-face), but still we need the approval from the Policy Board,” pahayag ni Castellano. Sa isang press conference na idinaos sa Letran College sa Intramuros, Manila. “We agreed to do it with basketball and volleyball and some online events. We’ll do face-to-face basketball and volleyball.”
Ang desisyon ng MANCOM na seryosong ikonsidera ang face-to-face games ay pinalakas ng vaccination program ng Commission of Higher Education (CHED), na nagsagawa ng two-day vaccination para sa NCAA student-athletes na nagsimula noong Huwebes sa Jose Rizal University sa Mandaluyong City.
Ang Letran ang vaccination ng “Padyak Tungo sa Flexible Learning: Sama-samang Vaccination Program” ng CHED bilang paghahanda sa face-to-face classes at sa mga torneo sa hinaharap.
“We would like to access all the vaccines to as many students, officials and administrators so we can slowly go back to the old normal,” wika ni Ronald Adamat, CHED commissioner, sa parehong media briefing na dinaluhan ni NCAA Policy Board president for Season 96, Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, OP, ng Letran.
Sinabi ni CHED Executive Director Atty. Cinderella Filipina Jaro na isinasapinal pa ang guidelines para sa face-to-face training ng student-athletes at magiging handa na anumang araw ngayong taon.
“There are additional considerations or provisions that we have to integrate to the other guidelines. Now that the supply of vaccines is consistent, we’ll incorporate the guidelines for the vaccinated athletes and unvaccinated athletes,” ani Jaro.
