Pasig, Melbourne survive Manila Challenger qualifying

Pasig Chooks secure main draw berth.

Local team Pasig Chooks and Australia's Melbourne iAthletic complete the cast of teams in the main draw of the Chooks-to-Go Manila Challenger, after the qualifying matches that took place at the SM City Fairview Events Center.

The latter eased past Jakarta South, 21-2 before dispatching Narvacan, 22-13. The 3x3Hustle regulars are rewarded with a spot in Pool C where Russian side Gagarin and Serbian side Belgrade NetTV beckons.

The former, on the other hand, needed a little bit of drama to earn their spot.

After cruising to a 21-9 win over Zamboanga, the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup champions had to face the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 Patriot's Cup champions Phenom Basilan (in its iteration as Isabela City Chooks) in what turned out to be a play-in for the remaining qualifying spot.

With Pasig trailing, 19-20, with 12.2 seconds left, Joshua Munzon managed to secure a rebound off a long distance attempt from Nikola Pavlovic. After drawing the Steel defense towards him, Munzon then threw a pass to the wide-open Serbian, who knocked down a one-legged fadeaway deuce to secure a 21-20 victory.

Nikola says, "It's tough but this is what we live for."

Pasig now joins Pool D alongside Slovenian side Kranj and Mongolian side Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy.

The main draw tips off this afternoon, with a couple of spots at the Jeddah Masters on the line. Joining Pasig as the lone Pinoy sides left in the Manila Challenger are Balanga Chooks, who are already assured of a berth in the Jeddah Masters. Balanga is in Pool A with Czech side Humpolec Bernard and the second-ranked team in the FIBA 3x3 rankings, Riga Ghetto.

Chooks-to-Go Manila Challenger set this weekend

Joshua Munzon set for global competition once again at the Manila Challenger.

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour heads to Philippines for the Chooks-to-Go Manila Challenger, as the country puts up a last-ditch effort to get themselves into the running for a berth in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Fifteen teams have a chance to get a couple of berths into the Jeddah Masters in Saudi Arabia next month. Balanga Chooks is already assured of a berth for that particular tournament thanks to their efforts at the recently-concluded Patriot's Cup.

Balanga also happens to the be the lone Filipino side that will not go through qualifying, with the other four teams slotted to enter the first phase of action at SM City Fairview.

Narvacan will be dealing with Melbourne iAthletic and Jakarta South in QD A, while Pasig Chooks, Isabela Chooks, and Zamboanga comrpise QD B.

The QD A top-notcher will be slotted into Pool C with Gagarin and Belgrade NetTV, while the QD B top-notcher will be in Pool D with Kranj and Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy.

Leading the cast of favorites for the Manila Challenger is Riga Ghetto and the top-ranked player in 3x3, Karlis Lasmanis.

Coverage starts at 10am on ESPN5's social media channels, with televised action starting at noon.

Balanga takes first leg of Chooks 3x3 Magiting Cup

Alvin Pasaol deep in meditative state.

The third tournament of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 commenced last Sunday at the SM Clark Events Center, with Wilkins Balanga claiming the first leg in dramatic fashion.

With memories of the Patriot's Cup finale 36 days ago still fresh, the Pure avenged that defeat in similar fashion against Phenom-Basilan-CTC Construction, claiming the 21-20 victory over the Steel.

Knotted at 20-all with 54 seconds left, Troy Rike had a clean hook shot underneath, but the ball only went halfway in before rolling out. With Balanga getting a new lease in life after the miss, Alvin Pasaol would make sure to take full advantage.

The burly forward powered his way to the paint against Franky Johnson, then throws up a wild shot with 40.6 seconds left to snatch the victory.

Pasaol shared afterwards, "Kinabahan ako. Tumigil yung mundo ko nun. Siguro bwenas na lang kami." He adds, "Sobrang saya na nakabawi pero isang tournament lang ito. Yung championship talaga yung goal namin. Sana magtuloy tuloy."

The match reflected the physicality and intensity 3x3 basketball is all about, with Leonard Santillan incurring a cut above his right eyebrow and Davon Potts suffering a busted lip.

About getting the cut, Santillan says, "Gusto ko bumalik. Buti naagapan kagad. Iniisip ko yung last conference kasi wala ako nung Grand Finals nun. Yun yung motivation."

Potts made an impressive debut in 3x3 for Basilan, securing the game clinchers for the Steel against SOGO-Vigan in the quarterfinals, 21-14, and Mindoro-7A in the semifinals, 21-13.

Balanga easily took care of things against Zamboanga-MLV in the quarterfinals, 21-9, before needing a two-pointer from Chris de Chavez to fend off rivals Pasig-Equaliver, 22-19.

The side events saw David Carlos claim the Coca-Cola Slam Dunk contest, while Mindoro's Rodel Vaygan topped the Coca-Cola Two-point shootout. Both guys received PhP 10,000 for their efforts.

The second leg of the Magiting Cup will take place on Friday, September 6, and will act as a prelude to the Chooks-to-Go Manila Challenger, which takes place on September 7-8.

The Scores:

Wilkins Balanga 21 - Pasaol 10, Dehesa 5, Santillan 3, De Chavez 2.

Phenom Basilan 20 - Johnson 9, Potts 6, Rike 4, Dionisio 1.

Balanga activates Santillan for Patriots Cup

He's back. Leonard Santillan returns to Balanga for the Patriot's Cup.

The fourth leg of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Patriot's Cup presented by Coca-Cola is set to take place tomorrow, and with the race for the top spot as close as it is, teams are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to finish the tournament on top.

Foremost in that quest is Wilkins-Balanga Pure, who have gone back to an old reliable for this penultimate leg, replacing Chris de Chavez with Leonard Santillan.

Currently the top-ranked Under-23 Filipino in the FIBA 3x3 rankings at 51st overall, Santillan was part of Balanga's run towards four finals appearances in the President's Cup, will make his Patriot's Cup debut at the SM Megamall Events Center. He joins Alvin Pasaol, Karl Dehesa, and Travis Franklin as they seek to build on the momentum they got from securing their first finals berth during the third leg this past weekend, with the squad in fourth place with 220 points.

Speaking of momentum, Basilan Steel is now atop the leaderboard after finally nailing their first title with 260 points. They will still be without Roosevelt Adams for this leg, with the Fil-Am committed to see action for Mighty Sports in the Jones Cup after missing the last leg with an injury. After tapping Gab Dagangon last week, the Steel will look to Brandon Hunter to fill the void alongside Franky Johnson, Troy Rike, and Marcus Hammonds.

With just a 30-point lead over VetHealth-Delhi and Gold's Gym-Pasig, Basilan recognize the situation they are in. Johnson shares, "We can't be complacent. We have to work on our plays and continue to build chemistry with each other."

The 3x3BL veterans are coming off a semifinal loss to the Steel, doing so with just three guys as AJ Gill was not available.

The Kings, on the other hand, missed out on the last leg due to their participation in the Poitiers Challenger at the 3x3 World Tour, where they finally got a victory that proved to be enough to get them into the knockout rounds, where they finished eighth overall. League organizers have rewarded them for their effort in France with the appropriate number of points to move them into a tie with Delhi at 230 points.

Taylor Statham shares, "We can't wait to show what we've learned from our France experience."

As for the others, Max4-Birada Cebu is looking to make it back-to-back semifinal appearances as it taps Mark Penerio for Jerome Napao, while Zamboanga Valientes MLV replaces Ola Adeogun with Darius Scott.

Pool play starts at 1045am tomorrow with coverage spread all across the ESPN5 social media footprint, with TV5 telecast scheduled at 1pm.

Teams have been allocated into these groups:

Pool A: Phenom-Basilan CTC Construction, Mindoro Tamaraws, Zamboanga Valientes MLV
Pool B: Wilkins-Balanga Pure, Max4-Birada Cebu, Marikina Shoemasters
Pool C: VetHealth-Delhi 3x3BL, Inoza-Gulf Bulacan, Thunder-Pateros Hunters
Pool D: Gold's Gym-Pasig, Tycoon-Ballers Quezon City, MiGuard-Vigan

Pasig look to end recent 3x3 woes at Poitier Challenger

Pasig Chooks with Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 Commissioner Eric Altamirano

Pasig Chooks seeks to get themselves back on track, as they compete in the upcoming Poitiers Challenger of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in France this weekend.

This particular Challenger is a feeder to the Lausanne Masters, which will take place on August 23-24.

Ranked 27th in the world, the quartet of Joshua Munzon (World number 96), Taylor Statham (World number 102), Nikola Pavlovic (World number 134), and Dylan Ababou (Philippines' number 6), have struggled in the last two Challengers they have participated, going winless in Kunshan and Moscow.

Such struggles have since moved into league play, having been stopped by Phenom-Basilan Steel, 20-18, in the semifinals of the second leg of the Patriots' Cup at SM Fairview, the first time the Kings did not make a final in the history of Chooks Pilipinas 3x3, going back to the President's Cup and even the preseason.

With time running out on the Philippines' aspirations to make it to Olympic Qualification for men's 3x3 basketball, league owner Ronald Mascariñas made clear his marching orders for Pasig, in the aftermath of both Basilan (as Isabela City Chooks) and Wilkins-Balanga (as Balanga Chooks) being unable to make it to the knockout rounds of the Haining Challenger last week, even if the former managed to emerge out of the qualifiers and into pool play with just three guys.

The BAVI head honcho says, "It's one thing to participate but we need to get the victories as it will multiply our points in the FIBA 3X3 ladder. They are more equipped now to take on the European squads with their experience in both our local league and the Challengers they played in."

Seeded fifth overall, Pasig is assigned in Pool D alongside Swiss side Lausanne, and one from these three French teams set to participate in qualifying: Lyon Blacklist, La Rochelle, and Poitiers.

They will face the qualifier at 1130pm on July 5, before facing Lausanne at 230am on July 6. Survive that and they will face either Kranj, Nantes Aderim, or Cairo in the quarterfinals later that evening. (All times in Manila)

Munzon is aware of the recent struggles, says "I wouldn't say that there's more pressure than the last one but I feel like we know that we are better than what we have been showing. We have to go out there and win games."

Statham adds, "We said over and over again that this is an uphill battle. We've used all these losses as lessons. The Poitiers Challenger is a good gauge of how far we've come. I don't want to give any predictions or say what we are going to do. I just want to let our game do the talking."

Joining the quartet in France is Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 Commissioner Eric Altamirano.

Participating in the Poitiers Challenger means Pasig will miss out on the third leg of the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 Patriots' Cup presented by Coca-Cola, which also takes place this weekend at SM Muntinlupa.

The league, however, recognizes that and will award Pasig 60-100 points depending on the team's performance in the Challenger.

Patriots' Cup Second Leg tips off today

These two are set to make their 3x3 debut later.

The Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 Patriots' Cup presented by Coca-Cola is set for its second leg at the SM City Fairview Events Center, with teams planning on recalibrating its efforts a week after playing the first leg at the SM Seaside City in Cebu.

Marikina kicks off its campaign after opting to skip the trip down South last week, with the Shoemasters fielding a quartet of JJ Espanola, Joshua Gonzales, Owe Mendenilla, and Charles Mammie for this leg. They are assigned in Pool C with last week's runner-up Phenom-Basilan Steel, and Tycoon-Quezon City.

Foreign guest side VetHealth Delhi of the 3x3 Basketball League returns, and aims to improve on their maiden semifinal appearance, as they are finally complete for this leg. With Arsh Deep Singh having travel issues, Amjyot Singh Gill is stepping in to fill his shoes. They will lead Pool A alongside Thunder-Pateros, who will field the reigning NCAA MVP Prince Eze as their foreign reinforcement, and MPBL expansion team Mindoro.

Wilkins-Balanga aims to bounce back from their surpise semifinal exit last week in Pool D against MiGuard-Vigan and Inoza-Gulf-Bulacan, who both sport new additions to their squad. The Wolves remains all-Filipino in adding Jerwin Gaco for Jojo Cunanan, while the Supreme Boosters opted for Chibueze Ikeh to bolster their side.

In making the swap, Vigan player-owner Christian Singson says, "Actually, may six-man lineup is not yet full. But right now, I'm already content with my team and I'm not looking for any import. Hopefully, we'll do better this leg."

Gold's Gym-Pasig seek to extend their streak of consecutive wins in Chooks 3x3 in Pool B alongside Max4-Birada-Cebu and Zamboanga MLV.

When asked how they can keep this run going, Taylor Statham shares, "Just defense. Everything we do right now is to improve our defense. If we play defense really well, life will be easy for us. And we need to share the ball more."

After acting as one of the co-hosts last week, Max4-Birada Cebu will only field a three-man crew later, with new reinforcement Frederick Elombi joining Darrell Menina and Jerome Napao.

Zamboanga, on the other hand, is fielding Ola Adeogun for Shooster Olago.

Pool A winners will face Pool D winners and Pool B winners will face face Pool C winners in the semifinals, with the champions set to receive PhP100,000.

Pasig claims first leg of Patriots Cup

The best 3x3 team in the country. The team with the two best 3x3 players in the country.

New tournament. Tweaked rules. Same result.

Gold's Gym-Pasig Kings reminding everyone about their place in the 3x3 basketball scheme of things, as they secured the first leg of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Patriots' Cup presented by Coca-Cola on Sunday afternoon at the SM Seaside City in Cebu.

The President's Cup champions claimed the title by defeating upstarts Phenom-Basilan Steel, 21-15, in just under 8 minutes.

Taylor Statham ran roughshod against the Steel, scoring 13 points. He shared after the tournament, "It's great. Honestly this is what our team needed."

Pasig struggled in both the Kunshan and Tinkoff Moscow Challengers, finishing both competitions without a win.

Taylor went on a personal 5-2 run against Basilan, allowing the Kings to move ahead 15-14 after trailing 12-10.

Joshua Munzon and Nikola Pavlovic each added four points for Pasig to complete scoring.

Marcus Hammond led Phenom-Basilan with eleven points, with both Franky Johnson, Roosevelt Adams, and Troy Rike shut down by the Kings' defense.

Basilan managed to break through to the final after riding on Johnson's shooting to fend off Wilkins Balanga Pure, 21-19.

This leg featured the presence of a foreign squad with VetHealth Delhi of India's 3x3 Pro Basketball League. The 14th-ranked club side in the FIBA 3x3 rankings made it to the semifinals before bowing to Pasig, 21-16, doing so with just three guys due to Arsh Deep Singh having travel issues.

The Indian side did have something to be proud of, as Kiran Shastri claimed the Shootout competition with a 14-9 victory over Max4 Birada Cebu's Mark-Gil Panerio.

Meanwhile, David Carlos ruled the roost in the Slam Dunk competition.

Statham adds, "Those are two great teams we just played. Can't make too many turnovers and mistakes."

Pasig took home PHP 100,000 and 100 points in taking the first leg. Excelling in all five legs is a must after league owner Ronald Mascarinas announced that berths in the Jeddah Masters and the Xiong'an Challenger are on the line for outstanding teams in the Patriots' Cup.

The Scores:

Pasig 21 -- Statham 13, Munzon 4, Pavlovic 4, Ababou 0.

Basilan 15 -- Hammonds 11, Johnson 2, Adams 2, Rike 0.

Patriots' Cup set to debut today

Chooks 3x3 is in his home turf

THE premier 3x3 tournament in the Philippines is set to commence its second conference today.

The Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 will have the first leg of the Patriots' Cup presented by Coca-Cola at the SM Seaside mall in Cebu, with twelve teams set to compete.

The format of the President's Cup will be adopted, with the additional twist of having the option of fielding a foreign reinforcement. Also included are the shootout and slam dunk competitions to help keep the crowd engaged.

Organizers have also invited a couple of foreign squads to add some spice to this tournament in 14th-ranked Indian squad VetHealth-Delhi 3BL and 20th-ranked Moscow Inanomo.

The Delhi squad will participate in this Cebu sojourn, while Moscow will be in the June 23 leg at SM Megamall.

League owner Ronald Mascariñas shares, "We invited two topflight foreign teams to our league to raise the level of our local teams. We definitely want to learn from them while sharing our experiences to them as well."

Proud Sugbus will have a chance to provide local pride in the Patriots Cup with two teams in today's field. MAX4-Cebu Birada is back for another go, with Darell Menina, Mark-Gil Panerio, Rich Managor, and Elmer Echavez, Jr., while CESAFI side SWU-PHINMA will have its quartet of Shaq Imperial, Dyul Roncal, Red Cachuela, and Lamine Thiam trying to make an impact in their league debut.

Mascariñas adds, "Hopefully, the Cebuanos come out to support their two teams for this leg."

Action starts at 1045am and broadcast via livestream, with the opening ceremonies scheduled at noon and will be shown LIVE on ESPN5.

Gracing the opening ceremonies are Mascariñas, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. Corporate Affairs head Juan Lorenzo Tanada, Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano, and Cebuano basketball legend and councilor-elect Dondon Hontiveros.

Six teams return from the President's Cup, led by Pasig as Gold's Gym-Pasig Kings and Bataan as Wilkins Balanga Pure. They are joined by the aforementioned MAX4-Birada Cebu, MiGuard-Vigan Wolves, Zamboanga Valientes MLV, and the Marikina Shoemasters.

The Shoemasters are not participating in today's leg, however, but guest side Thunder Pateros Hunters have stepped in.

Leading the debutants are Phenom-Basilan Steel and their quartet of Troy Rike, Roosevelt Adams, Franky Johnson, and Marcus Hammonds, joined by Inoza-Gulf Supreme Bulacan Boosters, Tycoon-Quezon City Ballers, and MPBL expansion team Mindoro Tamaraws.

The winners receive PHP 100,000.

For this leg, the bracketing is as follows:

Pool A: Gold's Gym-Pasig, Inoza-Gulf Supreme Bulacan, Thunder Pateros
Pool B: Wilkins-Balanga, Mindoro, SWU-PHINMA
Pool C: Max4-Cebu, Phenom-Basilan, MiGuard Vigan
Pool D: VetHealth-Delhi, Zamboanga MLV, Tycoon-QC

Country's Finest 3x3 players eye redemption at Moscow Challenger

Pasig. Balanga. The Chooks World Tour heads to the Russian capital.

The best 3x3 ballers in the Philippines are eyeing redemption.

Fresh from disappointing results in the men's draw of 3x3 basketball, whether club or country, the Philippines is looking to rebound and redeem themselves in the global scene at the Tinkoff Moscow Open, which starts Friday night (Manila time).

Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 is sending two teams to the Russain capital, managing to successfully lobby Balanga into the field after Pasig having secured a formal invitation to participate.

League owner Ronald Mascarinas shares, "We need to rack up more points as we recently fell to 32 in the men's rankings. That is why we are sending two teams to Russia."

The drop came after the results of the Kunshan Challenger for Pasig Chooks and the Gilas Pilipinas squad in the 3x3 Asia Cup, where both squads were bounced out of Pool play.

The BAVI head honcho adds, "I think that was the worst tournament we participated in. We left Kunshan with no wins. That's behind us now and the most important thing is that we learned a lot. This time around, we need to start winning because we are running out of time in the race to the OQT.

Only teams ranked in the top 24 will be granted a slot at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and with the November deadline looming in the horizon, the urgency gets more massive.

Pasig is currently ranked as the 24th amongst club sides in FIBA 3x3, and as such, has secured an automatic Pool berth, specifically in Pool B alongside Riga Ghetto and Antwerp. 90th ranked Nikola Pavlovic rejoins the trio of 89th ranked Joshua Munzon, 91st ranked Taylor Statham, and Dylan Ababou as they bounce back from losing both of their matches in Kunshan.

Munzon's mission is very clear. "We want to make up for what happened in Kunshan," he says. Statham only had one word for their goal in Russia. "Redemption."

Pasig plays Antwerp first at 11pm before facing the Doha Masters champions at 1225am.

As for Balanga, they will need to survive Moscow Inanomo and Odessa in Qualifying A, with the top team there being assigned to Pool C with Gagarin and Gdansk Energa 3x3. They have tapped Chris de Chavez from Valenzuela in Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 play to complete their squad, joining Alvin Pasaol, Karl Dehesa, and Travis Franklin as they undertake their gauntlet of a schedule.

Moscow Inanomo is no stranger to Balanga, as their matchup at the Doha Masters was one of the best games in that tournament, with Pasaol nailing the TISSOT Buzzer-Beater for the 20-19 win in overtime.

Pasaol shares, "Sobrang excited ako na makalaban sila ulit. Hindi kami magpapatinag sa kanila kahit homecourt pa nila."

Before the 8:20pm rematch, Balanga will have to deal with Odessa Basket at 7:40pm. Survive those and they get Pool C matches against Gagarin at 955pm and Gdansk at 1120pm.

If both teams can navigate their respective schedules, they will continue on with action the next day.

The Moscow Challenger offers a couple of tickets into the Prague Masters leg of the 3x3 World Tour as one of the prizes, with a total pot money of $32,000 as well on the line.

Pasig Chooks set for Kunshan grind

Pasig Chooks

For Pasig Chooks, the quest to make headway in the 3x3 scene leads to a familiar roadblock.

The Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup champions are set to once again cross paths with Liman when pool play for the FIBA 3x3 Huaquiao International Kunshan Challenger commences on Saturday.

At 740pm, the Serbian side will have a chance to avenge their 19-16 loss to the Kings at the Doha Masters, although this time around they will be facing a team without Nikola Pavlovic and Angelo Tsagarakis. Both players are sidelined due to injuries, with Pavlovic has an injured hand and Tsagarakis dealing with a semi-fractured rib.

Dylan Ababou and Troy Rike have rejoined the duo of Joshua Munzon and Taylor Statham, reuniting the same crack unit that dominated Chooks Pilipinas 3x3. Both Joshua and Taylor highlighted their chemistry and experience alongside each other as a key role heading into the Challenger.

Statham shares, "I have the utmost confidence in Troy and Dylan. "We played together for four months and it doesn't matter how good players are, the team camaraderie is what's so important. And you can't replicate the experience." The top-ranked Filipino 3x3 baller had nine points and five rebounds against Liman that day.

Munzon adds, "We won the local league championship together so I feel like we have that chemistry. Experience is everything in 3x3. We definitely hope they get their rhythm and can contribute and do their thing too." The ASEAN Basketball League veteran added four markers in that particular win.

Before facing off against Liman, Pasig Chooks will face Russian side Sosnovy Bor Cop Rosatom at 555pm. That matchup could already decide the fate of Pool A, since Liman and Sosnovy Bor will play at 410pm.

Survive pool play and they get the chance at making it to the Chengdu Masters in a few weeks through Sunday's knockout rounds.

The Kunshan Challenger champion claims $15,000, while the runner-up gets $10,000. Third and fourth place teams net $5,000 and $2,000, respectively.

One can watch Day 1 of the Kunshan Challenger below.

Pasig set for All-Filipino grind at Kunshan Challenger

The original Pasig Grindhouse squad back together. Flanked by the Altamiranos

Pasig Chooks will be channeling a little throwback when it participates in the FIBA 3x3 Huaquiao International Kunshan Challenger this weekend.

With both its recent reinforcements sidelined with injuries, the team will be going back to the original lineup that dominated the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup in Taylor Statham, Joshua Munzon, Dylan Ababou, and Troy Rike.

Nikola Pavlovic is nursing a swollen left hand, while Angelo Tsagarakis is dealing with a semi-fractured rib that he incurred during the Doha Masters.

Regardless, the team believes this is a good test for the country, as it tests its mettle against some of the world's best in the 3x3 scene.

League commissioner Eric Altamirano shares, "It's going to be tough. We are facing Liman and one Russian team. It's going to be a tough group but hopefully, with their familiarity of the players with each other, that can be an advantage for us." He adds, "Also, Josh and Taylor gained a lot of experience in Doha."

Pasig Chooks is in Pool A alongside familiar foe Liman and Russian side Sosnovy Bor Cop Rosatom. They play the Russians first at 5:55pm, before facing the Serbs at 740pm on Saturday.

Finishing first or second in the Pool grants them access to the knockout rounds on Sunday.

Topping the Challenger nets $15,000, while runners-up pocket $10,000.  Finishing third and fourth nets $5,000 and $2,000, respectively.

"They are not just representing Pasig or Chooks-to-Go for this tournament. They are the country's representatives," closed Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas.

The Kunshan Challenger is the final qualifier for the second leg of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, which takes place in Chengdu this coming June. Liman and Riga Ghetto have already booked their ticket to this particular 3x3WT leg, so the top team other than those two will earn said ticket.

Cebu to host Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 second conference opener

Ronald Mascarinas addressing the crowd

In the aftermath of the success of the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3, the league will commence with its second conference by heading to Cebu.

League owner Ronald Mascariñas made the announcement earlier this month, during the send-off for the Pasig and Bataan teams to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha.

"I'm glad to announce that the second conference of our league will open in Cebu on June 1," he disclosed. The SM Seaside Activity Center has been selected to host the opening leg.

The Bounty Agro-Ventures, Inc. head honcho continues, "With the support we got from the basketball-loving Cebuanos last January, we made sure to bring our league to them."

Back in January, in coordination with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, they set a FIBA-record 3,043 participants for a 3x3 tournament, involving the Sisters of Mary School Boystown and Girlstown.

According to league commissioner Eric Altimirano, the Patriots' Cup will be a reinforced conference, with teams being allowed to have a foreign player. He adds, "For the number of legs, we will limit it to at least five legs. Currently, FIBA might ask us to host another Super Quest as the sixth leg just like the President's Cup."

Coming off the success of the biggest 3x3 basketball festival in the world last January, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 is set to bring the country's first-ever 3x3 league to Cebu.

Unlike the President's Cup, adding spice to the second conference is that each team will be allowed to field an import in the Patriots' Cup.

"The second conference will be a reinforced conference. We are going to allow one foreign player to play per team," unveiled league commissioner Eric Altamirano.

All twelve teams who took part in the President's Cup are expected to be involved in the Patriots' Cup, including the soon-to-be hosts Cebu-Max4 Birada and recent 3x3 World Tour participants Bataan Risers and Pasig Grindhouse.

The league is looking into the possibility of expanding the tourney by adding more teams, including the potential of having overseas squads.

Altamirano says, "We are looking at retaining the twelve pioneering teams. If there will be additions, we need to have at least four additional teams. We need to add teams by four for scheduling purposes. So it's either four to eight teams."

Mascariñas adds, "Currently, we have received interest from a couple of international teams as well. A Indonesian club and a Japanese club already talked to us during the Super Quest."

Chooks World Tour yields immediate dividends in FIBA 3x3 rankings

Taylor Statham drives to the basket against Katara opposition.

The Philippines' quest to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 3x3 basketball continues to make incidental advances, in the advent of the release of the updated FIBA 3x3 rankings.

After the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha, the Philippines moved up a single spot in the federation rankings to 31st overall with 1,806,820 points.

This is possible due to the effort of Pasig Grindhouse and the Bataan Risers, who finished fifth and sixth in the first leg of the 2019 World Tour.

Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 owner Ronald Mascariñas says, "We are elated with this development but the work is far from over." He adds, "We at Chooks-to-Go will continue to do our part in helping promote 3x3 basketball, develop our players, and join the tournaments sanctioned by FIBA."

The efforts of two teams also yielded their own benefits for themselves.

Pasig is now ranked 27th in the world with their fifth-place finish, having beat Katara, 21-14 in just over eight minutes and upsetting Liman, 19-16, before bowing out to Riga Ghetto in the quarterfinals, 15-21.

The Kings have a chance to further improve these rankings with their participation in the Huaqiao International Kunshan Challenger this coming May 18-19. This particular Challenger is a qualifier to the Chengdu Masters, which is the second leg of the 3x3 World Tour.

Individually, Taylor Statham moved past teammate Joshua Munzon to be the top-ranked Filipino in 3x3.

Statham is now ranked 114th in the world with 349,080. Munzon is now 120th with 338,520.

Bataan's core duo of Alvin Pasaol and Leonard Santillan also rocketed up the standings, with Pasaol now 148th at 308,680 and Santillan at 221st 254,820.

FIBA has set some guidelines in order to secure berths in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with only seven available berths (as Japan claims one spot by serving as hosts).

Only the top 24 federations as of November 1 this year will be allowed to participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, which as of the moment are composed of:

Men: Serbia, Russia, Slovenia, Latvia, Japan, China, Mongolia, United States, Netherlands, Qatar, Lithuania, Ukraine, Brazil, Romania, Poland, France, Estonia, Czech Republic, Canada, South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, and Belarus (5,934,045). The Philippines is currently 30th with 5,196,380.

Women: China, Mongolia, Russia, Romania, France, Estonia, Japan, Ukraine, Netherlands, Hungary, Uruguay, Iran, Indonesia, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Brazil, Latvia, Belarus, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Spain, Turkmenistan, and Australia (985,332). The Philippines is currently 35th with 628,245.

In addition, National team pools are restricted to the top 10 players of each country in the FIBA 3x3 rankings. Players in the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 compose the top 21 3x3 Filipinos in the country as of the end of the President's Cup.

Chooks World Tour provides dose of reality in Doha

Balanga Chooks

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha showed how good the Philippines is and at the same time, how much they need to work on, as both Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks were sent to the sidelines in the quarterfinals.

Liman and Riga showed why they were two of the three best teams in the FIBA 3x3 club scene, defeating their respective Filipino opposition.

Top-ranked Liman avenged their 19-16 loss to Pasig in pool play by beating Balanga, 21-9, while third-ranked Riga Ghetto avenged their 19-17 loss to Balanga in pool play by beating Pasig, 21-15.

Both teams went on to face off in the finals after dispatching their respective semifinal opposition: Liman ended Novi Sad's World Tour winning streak at 35 with a 20-17 victory, while Riga dispatched Piran, 21-14.

The Latvian quartet then finally secured their first-ever World Tour title with a hard-fought 15-14 battle.

As for the side events, Stefan Kojic topped the shootout, while in the dunk contest, Vadim Poddubchenko, better known in basketball circles as Miller, beat out David Carlos in the final.

The 5'9" Pinoy dunker's three dunks, which included a scorpion dunk over Alvin Pasaol, yielded a total score of 85, compared to the flawless performance of 90 from the Ukranian sensation.

Carlos did get $500 for his efforts.

Pasig's performance in both days netted them a fifth place finish, which nets the quartet of Joshua Munzon, Taylor Statham, Nikola Pavlovic, and Angelo Tsagarakis $5,000. Balanga's quartet of Pasaol, Leonard Santillan, Karl Dehesa, and Travis Franklin was not far behind in the final rankings with their sixth place result.

Reflecting on how both Pasig and Balanga fared in the Qatari capital, Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano expressed pride, noting that "We made a statement that we belong here in the World Tour."

He adds, "Seeing the level of play here and knowing that we can keep up with the world's best, it will definitely make our players hungrier to get back in the next legs of the World Tour."

Seeing how the teams fared, Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 owner Ronald Mascarinas vows that there will be more to come for 3x3 basketball in the Philippines, reaffirming his vow during the send-off to participate in whatever 3x3 tourney FIBA invites them to.

He declares, "Now that we are back in the game, we will join every 3x3 tournament FIBA wants us to join. This is just the start for us. We will continue to raise the level of our league, hoping that one day we can be seen by the world as one of the elite 3x3 basketball countries."

Pasig has some unfinished work to do, as they are headed to the Huaqiao International Kunshan Challenger on May 18-19. The Kunshan Challenger is a qualifier to the Chengdu Masters, which takes place on June 1-2 and is the second leg of the World Tour Masters.

June 1-2 also is slated for the start of the Patriots' Cup, which is the second conference of the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3. The SM Seaside Events Center in Cebu is slated to host the league opener.

Philippines goes 4-0 in FIBA 3x3 Doha Masters

Joshua Munzon is fired up.

The Chooks World Tour is off to a smashing start at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha.

Both Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks are through to the knockout rounds after winning each of their group stage matches at the Katara Amphitheatre in the Qatar capital, egged on the Filipino crowd present.

Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano saw the effort of the Pinoy clubs in person in Doha, and he was beaming with pride. He shares, "Our teams showed the world what we have been doing for the last three months. Unlike past teams that were confused with the rules, Pasig and Balanga only made a few mental mistakes during their games. In addition, they were disciplined."

The Risers needed some down-the-wire dramatics to sweep Pool C.

They survived an ankle injury to Leonard Santillan during their massive 19-17 victory over Riga Ghetto, the third-ranked team in FIBA 3x3 and is fresh from claiming the Wuxi Challenger earlier this month. Playing without him in the second game, they then managed to eke out a 20-19 overtime win over Moscow Inanomo.

Overtime rules dictate the first team to score a couple of points wins, and with Moscow scoring first, thanks to Yura Bespalov, but the Russians can't celebrate that, as Alvin Pasaol nails a corner two-pointer to end the game.

The UE standout shared after the game, "Unang-una, nagpapasalamat ako kay Boss Ronald [Mascariñas]. Para sa kanya yung tira na ito kung hindi dahil sa kanya, wala kami rito. Kahit dehado na dehado na kami, pinakita namin na ang pusong Pinoy ay hindi titiklop ng ganun ganun lang."

The Kings also pulled off the sweep in Pool A.

After opening their campaign with a 21-14 win over host side Katara that ensured their berth into the knockout rounds, the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup champions faced off against top-ranked FIBA 3x3 team Liman, with the likelihood of an All-Filipino quarterfinal had they lost.

It was a nip-and-tuck matchup, even with the Serbs not having their top-ranked player Stefan Stojacic for this tournament.

Nikola Pavlovic nails a two-pointer with 64 seconds remaining to give Pasig the lead for good at 16-14. Liman would cut that deficit back down to a single point, but Taylor Statham scored back-to-back buckets to complete the 19-16 upset.

Taylor shared after the game, "I am very happy in the way our team took care of business today. Beating the number one team in the world is a great accomplishment but we are nowhere near satisfied."

Travis Franklin of Bataan ended up the leading scorer after Day 1 with 24 points, followed by Statham's eighteen.

The success of both teams was a nice surprise for Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas, who says, "Even we are surprised with the performance of both our teams. But now that we are in the quarterfinals, I challenged the boys to continue the momentum and show the world that Philippine 3x3 basketball is here to stay in the World Tour."

The only disappointment for the Philippines in the Doha Masters came in the shootout qualifiers, where both Karl Dehesa (Balanga) and Angelo Tsagarakis (Pasig) fell short of making the finals. Both finished with four points out of ten, a couple shy of finishing in the top three that makes it into the finals.

The knockout rounds commence later tonight, with Pasig Chooks kicking things off at 945pm with their quarterfinal matchup against Riga Ghetto.

As for Balanga Chooks, they will face off against Liman at 1115pm. All eyes now are on Santillan's ankle, as he remains a game-time decision for that matchup.

In between, Piran faces Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia Pacific Super Quest champions Tokyo Dime.EXE at 1015pm, with Novi Sad attempting to extend their 34-match World Tour winning streak against Ljubljana at 1040pm.

Also to take place at Day 2 is the Dunk Contest, where Filipino dunking sensation David Carlos goes up against Vadim Poddubchenko (a.k.a Miller) of the Ukraine and Joel Henry of Great Britain. It takes place at 1255am, before the final.

The Chooks World Tour set to commence in Doha

Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks together with Philippine Ambassador to Doha H.E. Alan L. Timbayan

The Chooks World Tour has its first stop, bringing back the Philippines into the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha, and Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. boss Ronald Mascarinas believes in what the country can do in the competition.

"Having been with these guys since February, I honestly believe that our players have superior skills. However, we need to play disciplined and smart basketball with no individualism at all," said the sports patron. "If they do this, I am confident that we can come out on top in Doha."

And the country is ready, sending its top two teams in the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 to participate in this two-day tournament.

Pasig Grindhouse is rebranded as Pasig Chooks for this tournament, which they earned by topping the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 tournament back on April 7. They are composed of the quartet of Joshua Munzon and Taylor Statham, joined by a couple of reinforcements in Nikola Pavlovic and the newly-acquired Angelo Tsagarakis.

Pasig's campaign starts at 1050pm against host side Katara, which features Qatari youth 3x3 standout Bobo Magassa. They then follow that with a matchup against the top-ranked 3x3 team in the world, Liman, although the Serb side will not have the 2nd-best 3x3 player in the world in Stefan Stojacic.

The Kings are joined by their friendly rivals, the Bataan Risers, who as 1Bataan Risers made it to the finals of the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest. The Risers will be known as Balanga Chooks for this tournament. They are retaining the quartet that participated in the Super Quest: stalwarts Alvin Pasaol and Leonard Santillan, Vigan Baluarte's Karl Dehesa, and newcomer Travis Franklin.

Balanga is scheduled to face Wuxi Challenger champions Riga at 950pm, followed by their matchup against Moscow Inatomo at 1135pm.

Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 league commissioner Eric Altamirano believes both teams are more than ready to test their mettle against some of the world's best in 3x3 basketball.

He shares, "Given the short time of preparation, I was surprised with how intense and how focused the players are. They were so intense that there was a lot of frustrations shown and some flare-ups. We expected that because they want to win and they really want to have a good representation for the country in the World Tour."

Altamirano also gave his thoughts about the opposition Pasig and Balanga will be facing in the tournament.

For Pasig, he says, "We know that Liman is one of the top teams in the world but we don't know anything about Katara. They're the host country. That is the one thing they will have going for them, the support of the home crowd. But we are also hoping that we get the support of the local Pinoys there."

For Balanga, Eric adds, "Those are two tough assignments. But what I like about Bataan is yung puso nila. They never back down. They seem to be the underdog but they don't show it. They never give up."

In the other two groups, Pool B will have the second-ranked team in 3x3 in Novi Sad, Super Quest champions Tokyo Dime.EXE, and host squad Doha. Pool D will have the two Slovenian sides, Piran and Ljubljana, as well as University of McGill-Mount Royal of Canada.

Only the top two of each group will advance at the knockout rounds the next day.

The Doha Masters champion will take home $30,000, while the first-runner up nets $20,000. Top five finishers will receive $12,000, $8,000, and $5,000 respectively.

Aside from the main competition, there is a shootout contest with $5,000 at stake, and David Carlos is set to participate in the dunk contest on Day 2.

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."

Pasig ready for World Tour challenge

Angelo Tsagarakis

Fresh from their success at the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup and the FIBA 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest, the Pasig-Grindhouse Kings believe they are ready for the upcoming FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha.

President's Cup MVP Joshua Munzon shares, "That's our first taste of international competition. I think that made us ready for the physicality of the game."

Taylor Statham adds, "The President's Cup was something that helped us understand the 3x3 game. The Super Quest was a whole other level."

If they think they are ready, the two reinforcements for the Kings sort of think otherwise.

Nikola Pavlovic, who helped Novi Sad win three World Tour Masters titles, says "The level is completely different from here and the way of playing basketball is completely different from here. It's going to be much more physical. It's more deliberate basketball."

Angelo Tsagarakis adds, "Doha is gonna be a learning experience and a slap to the face. Whatever they faced in the Super Quest is nothing compared to what we will face in Doha." He also shares, "Nikola knows -- he won the Utsonomiya [2017 World Tour Masters] leg. He understands what we are going to face."He has to bring his level higher, we all need to do it."

The Frenchman continued, "I don't think the guys realize yet the intensity that we are going to face in Doha."

Knowing that they have to give it their all at the World Tour Masters, he concludes, "We can't base things on what we did and did not do during the Super Quest. We got to think much higher and much further. We need to fight for everything than what we have already done. If there's one thing I know about sports in general, it's about the heart that you bring during each competition. Things your team is missing can compensate with heart. That's the main thing we can bring right now."

The Kings, along with the Bataan Risers, have a couple of practice sessions left before departing for the Qatar capital on Tuesday night.

BAVI rewards Pasig, 1Bataan with PHP 2M incentives

1Bataan Risers from last week's SuperQuest

In a surprise announcement last Friday, Bounty Agro-Ventures Incorporated head honcho and Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascarinas disclosed that he is gifting the eight players comprising the Pasig Grindhouse and 1Bataan Risers a total of PHP 2M.

The reward is based on the achievements both teams made during the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia Pacific Super Quest, with the Kings finishing in third place and the Risers as runners-up, which is aside from the $7,000 and $15,000 they each earned in the tournament.

According to Mascariñas, it is "As a gesture of gratitude to the players, we are giving the players of both teams a little gift that is a little over two-million pesos." He adds, "Thank you for serving your country."

According to league officials, the Risers (composed of Alvin Pasaol, Leonard Santillan, and Karl Dehesa, and Travis Franklin) will get a larger share of the incentives compared to the Kings (Joshua Munzon, Taylor Statham, Troy Rike, Nikola Pavlovic, and non-playing member Dylan Ababou) due to their better finish.

When asked about this, here are a few thoughts from the players:

Munzon: "We were surprised. None of us expected this. I thought we were just going to have lunch here."

Statham: "Extremely grateful to Boss Ronald and Chooks-to-Go. Definitely, we will use this to motivate us to represent the country better in Doha."

Pasaol: "Malaking bagay ito sa amin kasi napapakita namin na hindi lang sa five-on-five ang future ng basketball player."

Dehesa: "I mean, very grateful to have this opportunity after playing in the PBA for four years. I stepped out of my comfort zone now and it's paying off."

Both teams, rebranded for the upcoming FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha on April 18-19, as Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks, now have their sights set on shocking the world once again.

Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest set today

The SM Megamall Fashion Hall today will be witness to another historical moment in 3x3 basketball, with the start of the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia Pacific Super Quest.

Twelve teams duke it out for two available spots at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha, as well as spots in a couple of FIBA 3x3 Challenger legs next month, and a cash prize amounting to $50,000.

Among those twelve teams are the top two finishers in the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup, champions Pasig Grindhouse Kings and runners-up 1Bataan Risers.

League commissioner Eric Altamirano believes that both teams are ready for the competition. He says, "I've never been in a 3x3 tournament na we have sent teams that are more prepared than these two. Before, last minute lang yung teams na pinapadala. We've given them enough time to be ready since they are playing in a real 3x3 league. I'm confident that they can compete with the international teams."

The Kings, composed of Joshua Munzon, Taylor Statham, Troy Rike, and newly-signed Nikola Pavlovic, are in Pool C, with matches against Jakarta West Bandits at 1140am and Absolute 3x3 of Chinese-Taipei at 3pm.

Statham shares, "I think we are as ready as we can be. We have been preparing for the last three months for this. Me, Troy, and Josh have played together and we have some great players who have been helping us out. We know that we can compete with the world's best."

The Risers, composed of Alvin Pasaol, Leonard Santillan, guest player Karl Dehesa, and newly-signed Travis Franklin, are in Pool B, with matches against Anytours M1 of Hong Kong at 1240pm and Tokyo Dime.Exe at 240pm.

Pasaol shares, "Ito na yung bunga ng pinaghirapan namin kaya expect niyo na lalaban kami. Hindi lang ang sarili namin ang nire-represent namin dito kung hindi ang buong Pilipinas."

In Pool A are Ulaanbataar, TSV Reading Cinemas of Australia, and Enerskin of Korea, while on Pool D are Aotearoa of New Zealand, Saigon Aces, and SSLC of China.