Cebu, Manila 3x3 teams face tall odds

MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine clubs in Cebu Chooks and Manila Chooks try to defend home turf against some of the world’s best 3x3 teams as the FIBA 3x3 World Tour returns to the country with the staging of the 2022 Chooks-to-Go Manila Masters at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City this weekend.

Cebu and Manila are determined to stand their ground in separate pools of the 14-team conclave serving as the FIBA 3x3 World Tour second stop following an explosive opening stage in Utsunomiya, Japan.

Starting at 3 p.m., Cebu will be in for a tall order in Pool A versus Mongolia’s Zavkhan MMC Energy and world No. 1 3x3 club Ub Huishan NE of Serbia, which ruled the World Tour opener in Japan last week.

Manila Chooks, for its part, is in Pool D with rivals Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy and Zaisan MMC Energy.Pool B has Antwerp of Belgium and Sansar MMC Energy of Mongolia while Serbia’s Liman Huishan NE and Poland’s Warsaw Lotto make up Pool C.

The winner of the qualifying draw at 1 p.m. pitting Japan’s Yokohama, New Zealand’s Auckland and Australia’s Melbourne will join Liman and Warsaw in Pool C.

But all eyes will be on Cebu, which is looking to carry over its historic FIBA 3x3 Asia Pacific Super Quest championship last month to the Manila Masters.

“It’s going to be a tough group for Cebu but it’s also going to be a learning experience,” said Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas of the squad led by Mac Tallo, the country’s No. 1 3x3 player.

Completing Cebu Chooks lineup are Zach Huang, Mike Nzeusseu and Brandon Ramirez while Manila will have Henry Iloka, Ken Holmqvist, Dennis Santos and veteran Chico Lanete. Both teams are under the tutelage of trainer Aldin Ayo.

Cebu will also host a leg in October after World Tour stops in Paris, Prague, Lausanne, Debrecen, Montreal, Chengdu, Jeddah, Hongkong and Macau with the finals slated in Abu Dhabi in December.

The Philippines last became part of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in 2014 and 2015. Manila West, led by Terrence Romeo, ruled the 2014 edition while the Calvin Abueva-bannered Manila North finished at second in 2015.