ON MARCH 14, 2020, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) board released a memo outlining their decision to suspend the remainder of UAAP Season 82 in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines. The memo said that if the government declares that classes and mass gatherings may safely resume by April 15, 2020, alternative formats will be explored to continue games after May 1, 2020. 

However, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the quarantine would be extended until April 30, 2020, the UAAP board had no choice but to cancel the tournament altogether. While the cancellation was ultimately necessary, the narratives, moments, and journeys the athletes were looking forward to were reduced to collateral damage. This was a sacrifice worth making given what was at stake in terms of public health, but the UAAP board’s lack of decisiveness at the onset of the outbreak complicated a no-brainer decision, allowing the hopes of athletes to grow momentarily only to be squashed.

Bitter ending

The period between the season’s suspension and official cancellation exacerbated an already hectic schedule given the calendar shifts that made way for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in December 2019. As such, the athletes’ precise physical and mental preparations, and the high levels of stress that came with their efforts, became difficult to manage.

For Track and Field athlete Matteo Crisostomo, the cancellation punctuated a year full of confusion. His team’s competition was rescheduled five times before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the March 14 suspension would have marked the sixth, forcing yet another grueling readjustment of a delicate training plan. “It was really frustrating,” he shared. “But I was able to come to terms with the fact that there are bigger things in life than my sport.”

Men’s Football Team’s Jimi Haosen missed out on last year’s championship due to academic and personal reasons, so Season 82 was a big chance for him to bolster their title defense. “It was supposed to be my comeback season, but that’s nothing compared to the safety of my teammates and everyone.”

At the heart of the issue is a lack of proactive communication from the UAAP. Crisostomo and Haosen’s comments show that even the athletes themselves, who have so much invested in the season, understand that cancelling the games is the right move. If the UAAP established a dialogue for the athletes to make this clear, they could have avoided the emotional and physical toll of dragging out their decision. Granted there were probably legal and financial implications preventing the board from acting decisively, but communicating these issues to the athletes and even to the public would have at least provided more clarity instead of adding to the uncertainty.

A learning experience

Ultimately, dragging out the fate of the UAAP season may have done more harm than good. Leaving the possibility of a continued season up in the air for the past month left many athletes feeling anxious about their health and questioning the relevance of holding games given the national situation. However, to be fair, the unpredictability of the virus left the UAAP board with no choice but to respond one day at a time. It would be unfair to fault them entirely for the steps they took and the decisions they made.

The better question to ask now is what should be done in the future. It’s exactly these kinds of grave situations that we should be able to look to the UAAP for a clear, decisive plan that protects the best interests of the athletes and fans. Contingency plans for different public emergencies have to be created and practiced for implementation. Changes to standard protocol must also be considered in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, especially those pertaining to the level of access and interaction between athletes, fans, and media.  

Simply put, the UAAP cannot be caught in a vague middle ground again. The decisions leading up to the cancellation of the season were part of a learning experience, and if the time comes where the lives of the athletes and all those around the game are at stake again, it is the UAAP’s duty to be ready.