Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 players ready for national team call up - Mascarinas

BAVI head honcho Ronald Mascarinas addressing the audience during the sendoff for Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks.

When it comes to playing for the flag, the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 players are ready to step up to the plate.

That is what league owner Ronald Mascarinas is making a stand for, when he addressed those who were present in the send-off for the two Filipino teams for the upcoming FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha on Friday.

The Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president says during the gathering, "We are publicly offering the field for SBP." Ronald adds, "All the players who played in our Chooks-to-Go league are available. Even if there's an ongoing tournament, if the country needs our players, we will release them for the country. It's up to them now."

The Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 has the top 21 Filipino 3x3 players in the country, led by the Risers (Joshua Munzon, Troy Rike, Taylor Statham, Dylan Ababou, and late addition Leo De Vera) and the Kings (Alvin Pasaol, Leonard Santillan, Sean Manganti, Anton Asistio).

Completing the top 21 are the Pasay quartet of Jaypee Belencion, Arvin Tolentino, Roosevelt Adams, and Ron Lastimosa, the trio of Paulo Hubalde, Chris de Chavez, and Jan Jamon of Carga Valenzuela, Karl Dehesa and Jojo Cunanan of Vigan Baluarte, John Wilson and Larry Muyang of San Juan-Go for Gold, and Rey Suerte of Cebu-Max Birada 4.

In addition, the league already secured a Quest-Level status after one leg from FIBA, after federation officials were impressed during the opener at the SM Megamall. Pasig and Bataan earned berths into the first-of-its-kind Chooks 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest, where both teams made the top 3 and each lost to eventual champions Tokyo Dime.EXE.

Such efforts have helped raised the country's profile in the FIBA 3x3 rankings, moving them up to 32nd from 49th overall.

This particular line of thought from Mascarinas came on the same week as Philippine Basketball Association chairman Ricky Vargas noting the league's commitment to lend their players in both 5x5 and 3x3 for the Southeast Asian Games during the PSA Forum.

The head of the Philippine Olympic Committee shared, "Oo. Committed din kami magpahiram ng PBA players sa three-on-three."

The league enlisted Troy Rosario, Stanley Pringle, Christian Standhardinger, and Roger Pogoy during the FIBA 3x3 World Cup last year inside the Philippine Arena.

The quartet managed an eleventh place finish in this competition out of twenty teams.

Mascarinas hopes that the SBP will make the right decision with regards to the SEA Games, notes that "It is their responsibility to our country that any team playing for our country must be the best."