Lanete ends retirement to boost Cebu Chooks bid at Mongolian Challenger

Cebu Chooks

Chico Lanete steps up to the plate once again.

The 44-year-old is set to end his retirement and don the Chooks 3x3 kits once again for this weekend's FIBA 3x3 Sukhbaatar Challenger in Mongolia.

Lanete was an emergency replacement for Cebu Chooks!, after Lenda Douanga experienced problems exiting the Bureau of Immigration in spite of having a Mongolian visa.

He will join CJ Payawal, Isaiah Hontiveros, and Victor Nguidjol in the level nine tournament at the National Amusement Park, which offers slots to the Amsterdam Masters this coming October.

Lanete announced his retirement after playing in the inaugural Cebu Masters last year, where he played for Manila Chooks!

Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas is convinced Lanete still has what it takes.

He shares, "Coach Chico's return to action will really  boost the team's morale and overall performance on the court. Again, this shows how much he wants to represent our country and make every Filipino proud."

Mascariñas adds, "His willingness to come out of retirement and step up exemplifies why we do what we do for Philippine 3x3 basketball. Our Olympic dream is very much alive and this tournament in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia will be another stepping for us to reach our goal of seeing another Philippine basketball team donning the flag in the Paris Olympics, the biggest stage in sports."

Cebu Chooks! is slotted into Pool D alongside two Top-15 teams in the 3x3 rankings, facing off against Jimmer Fredette and 9th-ranked Miami at 320pm, followed by 12-ranked Futian at 640pm.

A chance at the knockout rounds the next day beckons if they can survive those matchups.

The Challenger also features a stacked field, including the likes of Antwerp, Beijing, and hosts Ulaanbaatar.

$15,000 awaits the champion, with $10,000 and $6,000 being the financial reward for the podium finishers, as an additional incentive besides the World Tour berths.

The games will be streamed on Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas' Facebook page, as well as broadcast on FIBA 3x3's YouTube channel.