Twenty national athletes and four coaches will take part in a one-month training camp that is being planned to be held this November.
Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association are working double time to make this happen as they are set to meet with the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
And with the support of the Philippines Sports Commission and officials of the Clark Development Corporation, PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said they are keeping their fingers crossed that everything will fall into place.
The training sessions were supposed to be held at the De La Salle University-Canlubang in Laguna by Nov. 1.
Instead, they have adjusted their plans so that the camp can be done under a “bubble” for a month at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. This is right before their plan to hold the National Open starting on Dec. 4 at the same venue.
“Kailangang mag-adjust. Kumbaga sa baraha, we were dealt a hand and we have to deal with this and this public health emergency,” said Juico.
National athletes will have a chance to get themselves in good condition when the approval for the camp is finally given.
On the other hand, foreign-based national athletes will have to stay put at their current location and will not be asked to come to the Philippines at the moment, considering the many protocols currently being observed to control the spread of the coronavirus.
There were plans to have a restart in the second week of August.
But the preparations were delayed when Metro Manila went back to Modified Enhanced Quarantine Community protocols last August 3.
Bases Conversion Development Authority Vice President Arrey Perez has confirmed to Juico the availability of the NCC facilities.
The PATAFA chief said the NCC Stadium is currently being utilized as a quarantine facility for coronavirus patients.
And it will soon be disinfected to give way to the preparations that will be done in time for the training activities and the staging of the National Open.
