The post-pandemic era of sports
EDITORS DESK
Flip the newspaper to the sports section and you would be greeted with a festive mood of leagues returning to their glorious days. The eager eyes would see a ton of stories of the ever-popular basketball and volleyball, trimmed to shorter versions and polished at every column to make the page look vibrant and not cramped. If one’s curious mind wants a proof of normalcy, just turn to sports — struck to the heart at the height of the pandemic but now doing giant strides toward the new age.
There could be a trove of bad memories in 2020 when Covid-19 disrupted tournaments all over the world. The virus spared no one, but organizers learned their lessons and acted on contingencies that resulted to what the fans are enjoying right now: A dab on the phone, a glance on television, or perhaps a stop at the newsstand would see the games coming back to life. Heck, name any major arena in the metro on weekends and spot a line to the ticket booth.
And a reminder of how busy the previous weekend was: The PBA, UAAP, NCAA, Shakey’s Super League, the Premier Volleyball League, and the MPBL all played at once in different locations.
While this is a refreshing sight after two years of inactivity for the athletes and the supportive crowd, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Noli Eala reminded the organizers to be more attentive on venue listings.
“There are so many sports leagues going on at the same time this weekend… Venues are hard to find. Consequently, fans are dispersed and ad money divided. Wish there was more coordination among leagues for better scheduling,” Eala wrote on his Twitter account.
The PSC chief could be right. On Saturdays and Sundays, with most Filipinos having the luxury of leisure all afternoon, sports fans will be hard-pressed on which match they should attend. Shall he go to the Mall of Asia Arena for the UAAP? Or maybe the FilOil in San Juan City for an NCAA showdown? Why not choose volleyball and troop to PhilSports or Rizal Memorial? Top all options, there’s Araneta for a PBA evening binge. Indeed, a difficult choice to make for spare time on weekends.
On the other side, these leagues cater to a pre-defined market of loyal fans who are equally divided on interests. For one, both the UAAP and NCAA have a throng of students for each of their respective schools to see their matches. Fan of Alyssa Valdez and the other pros? Go to PVL. The Shakey’s Super League has all the collegiate schools in one tournament, just pick the right schedule and be treated with a show of amateur stars. Want the best talents in local basketball? PBA is the venue for you.
The revival of these tournaments also meant big for the industry that was half-dead during the onslaught of infections. There were little signs of recovery, but the people behind these leagues carried on and waited for the pandemic to ease. This is the perfect time.
While we indulge in the revival of sports, let us remember the real fight that should not go beyond our vision — to totally beat Covid. Marching to jam-packed arenas and busting your lungs out for loud cheers come with responsibility and precaution. After all, these indications that gear toward the post-pandemic era amplify our sense of hope and resilience. Definitely, victory over Covid is within reach.
(Ramon Rafael C. Bonilla is the head of Sports section of Manila Bulletin.)