JAKARTA – The continuation of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) will be held without spectators. This is anticipating a surge in COVID-19 cases which had hampered the competition.
The regular phase of the IBL was stopped at the beginning of last February following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the contestant teams. After a hiatus almost before, the highest caste of national basketball will roll again at the Bung Karno Basketball Hall, Jakarta, starting Thursday, March 3 tomorrow.
IBL President Director Junas Miradiarsyah said that the league without spectators would be implemented temporarily. If there are developments in the early weeks of the competition, it is possible for the audience to be presented again.
"The hope is that if the initial operations run smoothly, the match can be attended by spectators, [but] of course it will still be subject to strict health restrictions and protocols," Junas said in a statement on the IBL website.
A total of five matches will heat up the first day of the continuation of the IBL. The newcomer to RANS PIK Basketball opened the competition against the young Satya Wacana Salatiga team.
After that the match continued to Evos Thunder Bogor with Bali United Basketball. This will be an interesting reunion between Daniel Timothy Wenas and his former team Bali United.
Other postponed matches between NSH Mountain Gold Timika against Tangerang Hawks and Bumi Borneo Basketball Pontianak versus Amartha Hangtuah will also heat up the first day of this regular round competition.
Meanwhile, the Indonesia Patriots squad, which is ready to return to the IBL after not having played a single match in the second series in Bandung, will close the first day of the match. Ali Bagir Wayarabi Alhadar and his friends are scheduled to meet with Pacific Caesar Surabaya.
“Everyone is very excited to be back competing. Together we will be stronger to face this pandemic situation," Junas said.
IBL was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic when it entered the second series which was scheduled to take place on January 29 and finished last February 5. However, in the course of this series, it must be temporarily stopped as the number of players infected with the corona virus increases.
March 3 tomorrow was originally set for the holding of the fourth series which was originally planned to take place in the city of Solo. However, the spike in positive player cases that occurred in the Bandung series made the organizers decide to change the format to a bubble system in Jakarta.
Jakarta was chosen as the place to continue the competition after the meeting of the contestants on Friday, February 18th. This city is considered to have supporting facilities such as more adequate health facilities.
PHOTO/INSTAGRAM @iblindonesia
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