THE Chooks-to-Go 3X3 Pilipinas formed a five-man pool that will extensively train overseas in preparation for the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Bounty Agro Ventures President Ronald Mascariñas announced on Monday that coach’s Aldin Ayo’s pool is composed of Cameroonian Mike Nzeusseu, Zach Huang, Dennis Santos, Brandon Ramirez and Mac Tallo.
The players, Ayo told a press conference in a hotel in Ortigas, will train in Serbia for 15 days.
“It’s going to be a lot of practice and tuneup games, it’s going to be an evaluation in such way,” Ayo said.
Qualifying for the Paris Games is a difficult task but Ayo said with Chooks-to-Go’s support, they’ll go for it.
“It’s difficult but it is possible,” he said.
Mascariñas said the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) 3×3 division will be inviting the Philippine squad—ranked No. 31 in the world—in various tournaments so that the country can secure points to qualify for the Olympics.
“Our first priority is to hone the team so that we can get more wins and we can prepare them for the Super Quest,” Mascariñas said. “Right now, it’s a long shot to qualify for the Olympics but we’re not giving up. We started at zero because some players went to the PBA [Philippine Basketball Association].”
A Super Quest is a stand-alone tournament where at least teams from three different countries in the region are participating.
Mascariñas said the team will play in several tournaments like the Southeast Asia Super Quest (venue to be announced) on April 30 and May 1, the Chooks-to-Go Fiba 3×3 Manila World Tour Masters on May 28 and 29 and the Chooks-to-Go Fiba 3×3 Cebu World Tour Masters on October 1 and 2.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes