CEBU CITY, Philippines—Will Cebu see a world record broken for most number of participants in a FIBA 3×3 basketball tournament this weekend?
The answer will be known as Chooks-to-Go and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas aim to make their mark in a FIBA 3×3 basketball tournament over at the Sisters of Mary School-Boystown and SMS-Girlstown this weekend.
The existing FIBA-record for kids is 1,114 participants while the overall record saw 1,898 players.
This two-day meet is expected to draw 1,100 kids from Boystown in Minglanilla on Saturday while an estimated 1,500 participants are projected to compete in Girlstown in Talisay City on Sunday.
But this particular record is just the first step of what Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas hopes to inculcate into the youth today.
“More importantly, we hope that we could instill the importance of pride for country to these kids. With Kobe (Paras) and Thirdy (Ravena), both of whom have represented the country well, the participants tomorrow and on Sunday will find their role models in them,” Mascariñas said during the event’s press launch on Friday at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City.
Joining Mascariñas were SBP executive director, Renauld “Sonny” Barrios, deputy executive director Butch Antonio, SBP regional head Rico Navarro, UAAP finals MVP Thirdy Ravena of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Kobe Paras of the University of the Philippines and SMS-Boystown athletic director, Van Halen Parmis.
The massive event seeks to build the foundation for the country’s Olympic dream in 3×3 basketball which will be a medal sport in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“With this event, we are hoping for two things. One is to teach the sport of 3×3 basketball to these kids. Though it is just like indoor basketball, iba ang rules at skillsets needed for 3×3. And we are hoping to see that the kids of Boystown and Girlstown will grow up and be part of our league Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3,” Mascariñas said.
Barrios added that the event would serve as an ideal platform to promote the values that the sport stands for.
“We in the SBP continue to promote the time-tested values given by sports like hard work, respect for authority, following rules and regulations,” the SBP executive said.
“Lahat yun, if you expand and embrace it, the country, we think, will have a good future. It’s our way of contributing to nation-building. The youth is the hope of the fatherland and we share this value with Chooks-to-Go.” /rcg