CLARK FREEPORT— The Clark Development Corporation welcomes the decision of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in choosing this Freeport as the official bubble venue for the premier basketball league’s Philippine Cup 2020.
PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, in a statement, cited the suitability of the Freeport to host the said event in terms of safety, protocol control, proximity to hospitals and its ability to take care of the mental health of players during the bubble.
CDC, together with Bases Conversion and Development Authority, expressed elation over the PBA decision.
“We express our gratitude to the PBA Board of Governors for choosing Clark for its bubble tournament and we are eager to help the PBA to start actual on-site preparations,” CDC President-CEO Noel F. Manankil said.
Earlier, NLEX Road Warriors coach Yeng Guiao said Clark is more than capable of meeting the requirements for the much-anticipated sporting event including accommodation, security, and proximity.
The Freeport, Guiao said, has first-class amenities suitable for such a huge event, especially for the professional basketball league.
With PBA adopting a full bubble format, the 12 PBA teams will be accommodated in a hotel facility inside this Freeport for two months. They will then be transported to the chosen practice site for training and preparation.
Players, crew, and officials are expected to arrive in this Freeport on Sept. 26, while scrimmages are scheduled to start on Sept. 27.
Meanwhile, the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Sports and Cultural center is being eyed as the site for the official games.
Clark has been among the preferred destinations for numerous sports-related activities and has been recognized by the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) as the “Sports Destination of the Year” for 2015 and 2018. It has also hosted various international and local events including the biennial event on the 30th Southeast Asian Games last 2019.