THE national 3×3 team is hard-pressed to make the most out of a three-week window to prepare for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Austria, later this month.
Head Coach Ronnie Magsanoc herded the team only on Labor Day at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba. He is staring at a limited window to get in harness against some of the world powers of the discipline.
“Every team is going to be tough to play simply because every game is a must win,” Magsanoc told BusinessMirror, adding only the top two teams in the group stage will move further in the tournament.
The Philippines is bracketed in Group C with Slovenia, France, Qatar and the Dominican Republic—powerhouse teams that continued to play through the pandemic.
“Slovenia, France and Qatar have been playing and competing in eastern Europe since March,” Magsanoc said. “In fact they just played in Serbia and may come from Montenegro which is just a two-hour land trip to Graz in the time for the competition.”
The country is fielding San Miguel Beer’s CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa, Terrafirma’s Joshua Munzon, Meralco’s Alvin Pasaol and Rain or Shine’s Leonard Santillan and Karl Dehesa.
“It’s going to be difficult because all our opponents are playing 3×3 for the longest time,” Perez said. “But as long as we execute and follow our game plan, I believe we can still make it. At the same time, my teammates Joshua [Munzon] and Alvin [Pasaol] will provide us some experience there.”
Perez first played 3×3 in the 2016 FIBA 3×3 All-Stars in Doha in 2016 but his team also composed of Sidney Onwubere, Bright Akhuetie and Rey Guevarra dropped out early.
He teamed up with Tautuaa, Jason Perkins and Chris Newsome in bagging the gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
The team departs for Austria on May 23.