Keeping Players Safe, IBL Decides To Continue Competition Early March

JAKARTA – The organizers of the Indonesian Basketball League postponed the second series of IBL 2022 until early March. The postponement was made to prioritize the safety of the players in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The second series of the highest national basketball caste which took place in Bandung had been running for several days. However, along the way, many players and personnel outside the players have tested positive for COVID-19.

The spike in cases forced the IBL to postpone several matches from the first day which started on Saturday, January 29. The peak of mass delays had to be done on Wednesday, February 2 last.

"The current spread of COVID-19 is much different or much faster than the previous wave. The postponement of this continuation is in accordance with the existing mitigation procedures in the IBL manual book to prioritize player safety," said IBL President Director Junas Miradiarsyah in an official statement.

IBL's postponement of the second Bandung series was supported by several other considerations. The first is so that players infected with the corona can completely recover and are ready to resume competition.

Meanwhile, the second consideration is that several players must strengthen the Indonesian national basketball team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying event against Saudi Arabia and Jordan on 24 and 27 February.

The next reason is the preparation of the series continuation mitigation format. The initial format of the 2022 IBL implementation with a non-centralized bubble system is considered an improvisation from the previous 2021 season format.

However, after an increase in cases, IBL was ready to implement a backup plan. The city-shifting series system may be abolished and the competition continues with a bubble system centered in one city only.

"The current situation of COVID-19, especially with the Omicron variant, is different. So that the step of preparing an anticipation formula for the continuation of the season, hopefully it will be the right preventive measure and IBL will bounce back until it finishes well at the end of the season," Junas said.