PBA D League still awaiting go signal for resumption

MANILA, Philippines – Like other amateur or semi-pro leagues, the PBA D-League will also have to wait for the IATF nod on its training resumption despite its mother league already getting a green light for a calibrated return.

Speaking at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, Commissioner Willie Marcial said that the PBA’s developmental arm is not among the league operations allowed by the government approval as of now.

“Bawal pa ang amateurs sa pinayagan ng task force,” he said.

Last March, the 12-team D-League Aspirants’ Cup was among the league operations included in the suspension of the 45th Season due to the pandemic with only two games for each squad played so far.

Apart from Marinerong Pilipino, the other 11 teams are school-based that would also make the resumption of the D-League a long shot pending the approval from their mother leagues UAAP and the NCAA as well as the education department.

Marcial said that D-League’s fate will certainly part of the crucial board meeting next month, when the league governors convene to decide on the PBA resumption.

Meanwhile, the PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro had previously assured that the teams’ entry fees being kept now like a deposit will remain untouched until the resumption of the Aspirants’ Cup.

School-based teams participating in the Aspirants’ Cup are Builders Warehouse-UST, EcoOil-DLSU, Apex Mindanao-San Sebastian, SeaOil-FEU, Mapua, Diliman College, Family Mart- Enderun, TIP, Wangs Basketball-Letran, AMA Online Senior High and Karate Kid-CEU.