Cebu’s 3×3 pride, Mac Tallo (left), and Zach Huang (right) gearing up for the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Manila Masters. | Photo from Chooks Pilipinas Media Bureau.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Chooks 3×3 squad is expecting rough sailing in the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Manila Masters which unfolds tomorrow, May 28, 2022, at the Ayala Mall Manila Bay’s events center in Pasay City.
Mac Tallo and Zach Huang lead the Cebu Chooks team against the world’s top player Strahinja Stojacic of Serbia and their country’s top 3×3 squad, Team UB at 3 pm tomorrow in Pool A.
Also in the pool is Mongolia’s Zavkhan MMC Energy.
Cebu Chooks along with the other Philippine 3×3 squad, the Manila Chooks have been training alongside their Serbian counterparts for the past week, which according to Tallo, was substantial and beneficial to them as they gear up for the major tournament.
“Madami kaming natutunan sa kanila tulad ng pagiging saktong pisikal lang sa depensa, kung paano sila nafree-free up sa opensa,” said Tallo, a former Cesafi MVP.
“Sana maapply namin sa Manila Masters lahat yun.”
Cebu is coming off a championship win in the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 Asia Pacific Super Quest. Also part of the Cebu squad is Fil-Canadian bruiser Brandon Ramirez and Cameroonian Mike Nzeusseu.
Meanwhile, Manila is grouped under Pool D along with Mongolian rivals Ulaanbaatar and Zaisan MMC Energy.
Manila and Zaisan are familiar foes after they faced each other three times already in the previous FIBA 3×3 tilts.
Manila defeated Zaisan in the Asia Pacific Super Quest, 21-17, before Zaisan got two back on their home floor — including a 21-16 win during the semis of the Ulaanbaatar Super Quest earlier this month.
Holdovers from that Manila team are Chico Lanete, Henry Iloka, and Dennis Santos. This time around, they will have 6-foot-8 Filipino-Norwegian Ken Holmqvist as their big man.
“I’m just excited to be able to finally show what I can do and represent my country,” said Holmqvist, who was part of the Gilas team that won the 2016 SEABA Cup.
“Of course, there’s pressure but it’s something that we have to embrace being the home team.”
Pool C will have world no. 3 Liman, Poland’s Warsaw Lotto, and India’s Gurugam 3BL.
World no. 2 Antwerp of Belgium and Mongolia’s Sansar MMC Energy are in Pool B along with the winner of the qualifying draw.
Japan’s Yokohama Beefman, New Zealand’s Auckland, and Australia’s Melbourne will take part in the qualifying draw at 1 pm with the top team advancing to the tournament proper. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the knockout playoffs the following day.
“After seven long years, finally the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters is back home,” said Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas.
“Fiesta will be the theme of our opening ceremony as it brings people together. This is our way of bringing everyone together, all for the love for the sport that we love.”
The tournament dangles a prize pool of $122,000 (P6,375,415) with $40,000 (P2,090,300) going to the champion. /rcg
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