PBA bubble venues ready for Asia Cup

MANILA, Philippines — PBA bubble hosts Quest Plus Conference Center and Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Clark will level up to international standards if tapped for the next FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window in February.

“We are ready for it. We will do our best to host the first international bubble in the country,” AUF athletic director and cultural center building manager Jeffrey Jervoso told The STAR.

“We’ve already handled international events in the past. With the PBA bubble set-up in place, our team is ready to deliver,” added Quest executive assistant manager Mabel Roman.

Quest and AUF are armed with international experience after serving as home to world-class events like the ASEAN Summit and the 2019 SEA Games apart from successfully housing the massive 350-strong, 12-team PBA delegation.

They also carry the expertise after holding the PBA bubble scratch-free for more than two months with strict health and safety protocols in place as mandated by the PBA, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH).

With the additional protocols from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and FIBA, the upcoming international bubble is also bound to succeed.

“Most probably the same venues (Quest and AUF). We are already talking to them,” added SBP president Al Panlilio.

At 3-0 in Group A that also includes Thailand, Gilas eyes to hold the fort at home against Indonesia and South Korea in the third window set Feb. 18-22.

Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Guam will also play in the Clark bubble to complete an eight team-cast, a smaller entourage compared to the 12 PBA teams Quest and AUF hosted recently.