Organizers vow to finish MPBL season

Organizers will still try to save what's left of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball Lakan Season.

This can be done by playing the remaining games in one venue.

Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said this right after announcing that the fourth season of the tournament was postponed to 2021 in a memo sent to team owners last June 1.

“Yes, that’s really the plan of the league. Definitely, we will finish the Lakan Season, 'yung remaining games natin. Nakakapanghinayang, one-week delay lang tayo or one week short lang tayo, wala sanang problema. Hindi na sana natin hihintayin kung kailan puwede i-schedule, kung kailan papayag ang government,” said Duremdes.

Duremdes discussed the league's plans during an online Zoom interview.

Current lockdown measures imposed throughout the country to contain the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible to hold games in multiple venues.

“We’re planning to have one venue lang. May mga hotels around it, para safe lahat. Madali i-quarantine and madali siyang mabantayan in short. Although hindi ‘yan mape-perfect, at least mami-minimize mo,” added Duremdes.

The banning of contact sports for the duration of the lockdown measures also contributed to the decision.

And we have to check the guidelines talaga truly and properly kasi mahirap, sablay ka diyan patay tayo. So aside from that, kailangan mo ng medical experts diyan,” said Duremdes.

Duremdes believes that the current difficult situations that they are facing are part of their birth pains as a young organization.

“So just like us in the MPBL, may birth pains ‘yan. A young league na very aggressive, but we cannot deny it na may mga problema talaga dahil it's normal. Walang tournaments anywhere na nu'ng inumpisahan nila is perfect agad, walang ganu'n,” added Duremdes.