These are some of the players that will compete in the upcoming Chooks-to-Go 3×3 tournament pose during their meeting on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. | Photo from Chooks-to-Go
CEBU CITY, Philippines— A total of 12 teams will strut their wares in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Invitational by TM on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at the Laus Events Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga.
The one-day invitational 3×3 competition is aiming to revive the local 3×3 basketball scene that was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last time the country organized a major 3×3 hoopfest was in October 2020 during the President’s Cup organized by Chooks-to-Go headed by league owner and sports patron Ronald Mascariñas.
“The pandemic has really affected our goal of garnering valuable FIBA 3×3 points for the country in our dream of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said Mascariñas. “For us to re-ignite the fire of our stakeholders and team owners, we organized this one day tournament which has no entry fee.
“It’s about time 3×3 basketball returns,” he added.
Among the 12 teams competing in the one-day hardcourt action is Cebu’s very own ARQ Builders Cebu.
The rest are HeiHei Manila, Pacquiao Coffee Bacolod, BRT Sumisip Basilan, Homegrown Grains Bocaue, AMACOR Mandaluyong, RBR Cabiao Nueva Ecija, Pasig Kingpins, Adam Esli Pasay, MNL Kingpin Quezon City, Essen Immunoboost Sarangani, and Zamboanga Valientes.
There will be three pooled groups in the competition that will abide the FIBA 3×3 World Tour format. The top two teams in each pool will qualify to the knockout playoffs.
What makes the tournament more exciting is each team can sign-up foreign hoopers to reinforce their respective lineups.
The champion team will walk away with a whopping P100,000 purse while the runner-up will receive P50,000 and the second runner-up takes home P20,000.
On Saturday, the league finalized its rules as well as its health and safety protocols in a meeting with team representatives.
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