NLEX Road Warriors coach Yeng Guiao believes that the Smart Araneta Coliseum is a good place to hold the PBA games when the league resumes its season.
Araneta is near hotels, which could house the PBA teams during the tournament. The hotels will have easy access to practice facilities where teams could work out.
“From the hotel, we can go to our own practice venues. May sariling bus, our own transportation going to practice, then balik sa hotel. Tulog doon, then laro sa Araneta. That’s still considered a bubble,” said Guiao in a published report.
The NLEX mentor however believes the league should hold the conference within a shortened time period.
“Ang hirap pag ‘di iko-compress. You have to be in a bubble for three to four months? Masisiraan ng ulo yung mga players, lalo na yung mga coaches. I think there’s gonna be a mental health issue kung masyadong matagal,” said Guiao.
The league is actually not wanting in possible venues when it resumes competition.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said at least 13 hotels have reached out to offer hosting services. Some hotels even suggested transforming their ballrooms into practice facilities to remove the need for teams to leave and go to a separate facility to practice in between games.
One provincial resort offered to build a tent for the games with the goal of promoting the season as a boost for tourism.
League chairman Ricky Vargas on the other hand expressed gratitude at the outpouring of support for the league’s plan to resume its games.
“When we seriously started talking about the bubble, we’re getting offers from LGUs and resorts. We welcome that, we really welcome that,” said Vargas.
The PBA Board of Governors will meet this week to finally decide on the format of the season which they hope will be approved by the government.