Amid the challenges brought by the coronavirus pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 96 will push through.
Colegio de San Juan de Letran's Fr. Vic Calvo, Management Committee chair of the NCAA, announced the news on Tuesday in a virtual forum with the Philippine Sportswriters Association.
"First week of May, matutuloy 'yan," Calvo said.
With contact sports being restricted and only certain events are allowed, the NCAA plans to start the season by conducting chess and taekwondo competitions which will be held online.
He added they are also proposing men's basketball, women's volleyball, and beach volleyball, if approved by government agencies such as the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the Commission on Higher Education.
The plan to do an online skills and drills challenge in lieu of the usual basketball and volleyball games is also an option for the league.
Calvo believes hosting the special season will be Letran's gift to the league.
"I think that's the best legacy Letran can give to the next season and to the NCAA," he said.
"We promised, even at the start maraming hindi naniniwala na mapu-push 'to, pero with the minimum requirement na puwedeng gawin ay gagawin namin na matutuloy ito," Calvo said, adding that they are dedicating the season to the league's stakeholders.
(We promised, even if there were doubts at the start on how we can push with the season, but with the minimum requirement we can do, we will make it happen.)
The NCAA games will be aired on different platforms of GMA Network under a five and a half-year landmark deal which was inked last November. — LA, GMA News
