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.

Cebu advances in Penang Challenger

Mac Tallo

Cebu Chooks! secures a berth into the knockout rounds of the FIBA 3x3 Penang Challenger on Saturday, after defeating Zavkhan MMC Energy, 18-15, at the Queensbay Mall in Malaysia.

A slow start saw Cebu trail Zavkhan, 5-0, before managing to knot things at 8-all.

Mac Tallo then decided to take control of the game, with the top-ranked Filipino in the 3x3 scene finishing with five deuces against their Mongolian opposition. He would finish with a game-high twelve points.

Brandon Ramirez and Zach Huang are credited with Cebu's remaining six points, as Vince Tolentino makes his debut without a point to his name.

Avirmed Lhagvaa paced Zavkhan with six points.

"It's a good start for our Cebu team and for Coach Chico (Lanete). They showed great heart in overcoming a slow start against their archrivals," according to Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas.

Cebu earned the berth into the knockout rounds due to Zavkhan having previously lost to Liman, 21-11 to finish Pool A without a victory.

Cebu and Liman will determine who tops the pool at 650pm.

Head trainer Chico Lanete shares, "Kahit nakapasok na kami sa next round, gagawin namin ang lahat against Liman. Malalaman namin kung nasan na kami sa larong 'yun."

The Scores:

Cebu 18 - Tallo 12, Ramirez 4, Huang 2, Tolentino 0.

Zavkhan 15 - Lhagvaa 6, Bayarsaikhan 4, Tsermaa 3, Khureltogoo 2.

Vince Tolentino set to make Cebu Chooks debut

Cebu Chooks with new addition Vince Tolentino

Vince Tolentino hits the ground running when he makes his Chooks 3x3 debut with Cebu Chooks! this weekend, alongside Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, and Brandon Ramirez.

The former Ateneo and Rain or Shine big man replaces Mike Harry Nzeusseu, who had visa issues and will miss out on this tournament.

The quartet is set to join the FIBA 3x3 Penang Challenger, a level-nine tournament that also serves as a qualifier for the Paris Masters in the 3x3 World Tour.

Tolentino says, "I'm really excited as this will be my first-ever 3x3 tournament. Definitely looking forward to competing with my new teammates and representing the country. I'll do my best in fulfilling my role here in the team."

Cebu is slotted into Pool A, alongside Liman Huishan NE, followed by Zavkhan MMC Energy. They face the Mongolian side first at 410pm, with their duel against the Serbians at 650pm.

Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascarinas shares, "This will be a good test for Cebu Chooks! on whether they can compete on their own. All of our efforts for the next month will be leading towards our hosting Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3x3 Cebu World Tour Masters and Penang will be a good test for our team."

For head trainer Chico Lanete, it is an opportunity to see who would be comprising the team for that important event. He says, "I will use this tournament as my gauge on who will compose the Cebu team for the Cebu Masters. Hopefully, we can bounce back in this tournament and gain momentum for our hosting."

The first-ever 3x3 World Tour event in the Queen City of the South, the Cebu Masters will take place at SM Seaside on October 1-2.

Chooks 3x3 moves on from Ayo departure

 

Even with the sudden departure of Aldin Ayo from the Chooks 3x3 program, league owner Ronald Mascariñas had just has three words to say. 

"We move on."

Mascariñas met with the players that comprise the pool this past weekend, led by Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, Chico Lanete, Dennis Santos, Brandon Ramirez, Ken Holmqvist, Dave Ando, Mike Harry Nzeusseu, and Henry Iloka, armed with the stance that the program will continue as scheduled.

He shares, "We are not going anywhere. We do not see it as a setback. We will continue to take good care of our players and give them everything they need as they continue their journey in the global FIBA 3x3 pro circuit."

Training has been constant for the 3x3 pool, with Tallo, Ramirez, Huang, and Nzeusseu participating as Cebu Chooks in the Lipik Challenger, where they finished 11th. They also are planning to participate in a few Super Quests, and other international tournaments, highlighted by the Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3x3 Cebu Masters in October.

Lanete was since named as the interim head trainer for the side, with Mascariñas looking to continue to tweak the program with the end goal of getting the Philippines into the 2024 Paris Olympics. Among such measures include providing coaching help to Chico through assistant coaches and a foreign consultant, as well as recruitment of players that can boost the team.

"We are currently in the process of adding more players to our pool and giving Coach Chico everything he needs as our leader," said Mascariñas. "This will not stop us in our mission of gaining valuable FIBA 3x3 points for the country in hopes of making it to the Paris Olympics in 2024."