Photo caption: Cebuano top 3×3 players Mac Tallo (shooting) and Zach Huang (13) during their competition in Penang, Malaysia. | Photo from Chooks-to-Go
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu Chooks and Manila Chooks 3×3 squads are optimistic going into the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Cebu Masters slated October 1 to 2, 2022 at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
One of those excited going into the tournament is Cebuano ace guard Mac Tallo, who is the Philippines’ top 3×3 player.
The 28-year-old two-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) MVP is excited to play in his hometown after many years.
Tallo also believes that traveling earlier to Cebu might be the thing they need to snap out of a slump.
“Change of scenery ito, eh. Siyempre hometown namin ni Zach to,” said Tallo.
“Baka ito na yung kailangan namin as a team.”
Cebu Chooks and Manila Chooks arrived in Cebu last Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Also back in Cebu is fellow Cebuano and ace lockdown defender Zach Huang and their teammates Brandon Ramirez, Vince Tolentino, and Mike Nzeusseu.
However, it won’t be just a homecoming for both Tallo and Huang as they have a lot of work to be done to bounce back from their fifth place finish in the recently concluded Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 International Standalone Quest last Friday in Laguna.
Meanwhile, Manila Chooks is comprised of Chico Lanete, Dennis Santos, Henry Iloka, Dave Ando, and Ken Holmqvist, who will join them in the 10-day training camp.
Cebu Chooks earned a wild card slot in the main draw as the tournament’s host. Meanwhile, Manila will vie in the qualifying draw as the second best team in the Philippines.
Cebu and Manila Chooks! will be training around the city, holding sessions at the Cebu City Sports Center oval, the City Sports Club Cebu, and the Cebu Eastern College Court this week.
“Bago kami umalis, sinabi ko sa boys na hindi ito bakasyon. Todo trabaho kami dito hanggang September 30,” said head trainer Chico Lanete.
They will compete against Belgium’s Antwerp, Latvia’s Riga, the Netherlands’ Amsterdam, Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, Switzerland’s Lausanne, Mongolia’s Sansar, USA’s Omaha, Japan’s Utsunomiya and Saitama, India’s Ludhiana, and Qatar’s Doha.
Meanwhile, Chooks 3×3 Quest runner-up Zaisan begged off from the tournament as it will compete in the 2022 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 Worlds. Taking their place is Ulaanbaatar, who placed third in the same tournament.
/bmjo
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Mac Tallo, Chooks 3×3 players arrive in Cebu for World Tour Cebu Masters