Alab Pilipinas left hanging with ABL fate

MANILA, Philippines — Coach Jimmy Alapag and the rest of Alab Pilipinas are left hanging by the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) as the season suspension continues.

Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the ABL was forced to cancel play last March with Alab firmly in second place in the standings.

Now, after more or less four months of hiatus, the league has yet to formalize any form of return plan.

"It's tough right now... With the ABL, we're in a very very tough situation," Alapag said in the recent episode of Tiebreaker Vods' Coaches Unfiltered.

"Honestly, I think [it's] even tougher than the PBA... With the ABL, it's a much different dynamic because of the heavy travel that we have around the region to all the other Southeast Asian countries," he added.

With the health crisis still rolling on in most parts of the world, Alapag and his players are left to wait on the league's decision with still no word on if and when the ABL returns in the coming months.

"Last that I heard, the league is still on indefinite suspension... It's just tough, you know all of our guys have gone back home, whether here or back to the States," Alapag said.

"Us having been five months into the season and then just like instantly, the season was cutoff. It was tough but it's something that we've all been affected by," he added.

Alab Pilipinas was well at pace to regain ABL glory before the season was scrapped. Alapag and the rest of the Alab players were eager to take back the crown they last held in 2018.