MANILA, Philippines – The opening of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's fourth season will be dependent upon the country's COVID-19 situation.
Though the MPBL was supposed to resume competition in September, league founder and CEO Manny Pacquiao opted to wait and see whether the pandemic will continue to gain ground or pan out in the country.
If the health situation doesn't improve at the end of the month, the league will be forced to move the opening back, according to MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, who visited Pacquiao in his house in Los Angeles on Monday, August 2 (Tuesday, August 3, Philippine time).
Duremdes, a former MVP and all-time PBA great, along with former pros Yves Dignadice, Django Rivera and Wilmer Ong, and Noli Locsin's brother expressed their full support for Pacquiao, who is in deep training for his 3-belt welterweight fight with Errol Spence Jr. on August 21 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After briefing Pacquiao on the preparations being undertaken by the MPBL, Duremdes and his gang had their picture taken with the Fighting Senator.
Despite the pandemic, the MPBL was able to stage the finals of the Chooks-to-Go Lakan Cup in a bubble setup in Subic Bay, Zambales in March with the Davao Occidental Tigers emerging as the champions at the expense of the San Juan Knights.