Manila Chooks ready for Yichang Challenger

Manila Chooks off to China

With one eye on the upcoming Cebu leg of the 3x3 World Tour, Manila Chooks! continues its preparations through its participation in the FIBA 3x3 Yichang Challenger this weekend.

The quartet of Mac Tallo, Dennis Santos, Paul Desiderio, and Marcus Hammonds have been bracketed together alongside Futian and Zaisan in Pool A.

The eighth seeds are facing the Chinese side first at 210pm on Saturday, followed by their Mongolian opposition at 4pm. If they emerge as first or second in the group, they will get the chance to play in the knockout rounds slated on Sunday.

This particular Challenger leg seeks to fill available spots in the World Tour Masters leg at Constanta in Romania, with teams like Utrecht and Princeton also competing for the chance to be in the top 3x3 club tournament in the world.

Aside from this, it is also an opportunity for the side to procure additional points that can help boost the chances of the Philippines to be able to send a team to the Olympics next year in Paris.

As shared by Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas, "We treat every tournament as a valuable tool to make our team better. This year is crucial and the points we earn in every international FIBA tournament we play in all contribute to our ultimate goal of making it to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament."

He adds, "Our players have taken this to heart and are all pushing their limits towards that lofty goal."

Mascariñas also says "The Yichang Challenger, just like all the other tournaments, is another opportunity to sharpen our skills and fortify the solid foundation we've set with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3."

The Challenger, which has a $15,000 prize for its champion, will be streamed on Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas' Facebook page, as well as FIBA 3x3's YouTube account.