THE health protocols that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) plan to implement will be stricter than those adopted by the organizers in Manama, Bahrain when they hosted the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers (ACQ) in November.
Clark, Philippines will host the third and final window of the ACQ in February 2021, and the SBP revealed the upgraded protocols it will implement for its bubble. One of the protocols is the provision of one dedicated room for each team.
“We will have a dedicated changing room or viewing room for each eight teams. They don’t have to interchange or wait for a changing room to be vacated because they will have one dedicated room per team — an improvement over what FIBA had in their Bahrain bubble,” said SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios.
Citing Gilas interim head coach Jong Uichico, Barrio also disclosed that the Quest hotel in Clark — which will house the FIBA contingent in February — has better facilities than what the FIBA had in Bahrain.
“According to Coach Jong [Uichico], the Quest lodging facilities are far better — if I may say so — than their lodging facilities in Bahrain.”
SBP President Al Panlilio added that Quest is also set to improve its facilities to better host the FIBA contingent come February.
“Quest is a very good hotel, and everybody was very happy. But a portion, I think half of the hotel can be upgraded. And I think Quest has already committed that they will try to upgrade as many rooms as they can.”
SBP also stressed that it should have a dedicated isolation facility that players, coaches or organizers would stay in once they tested positive for Covid-19.
Clark will host Group A teams Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippine team, as well as Group C teams Australia, New Zealand, Guam, and Hong Kong.