Start the year with a bang.
That’s the mindset that the Manila Chooks! 3×3 squad has when it tries to prove its worth in the FIBA 3X3 Pro League Netherlands 2023 Winter Edition Stop 1 from March 9 to 20 in Amsterdam.
Manila Chooks!, which arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday, will be bannered by the country’s No. 1 3×3 player Mac Tallo, No. 2 Brandon Ramirez, and No. 3 Dennis Santos.
Determined to bolster its roster, Manila Chooks! has also tapped former University of the East standout CJ Payawal and former National University forward Matt Salem as new additions.
For the first stop, Manila Chooks! is bracketed in Pool D and will clash with Amstelveen of Netherlands at 2:55 a.m. Friday before taking on world No. 15 Utrecht at 4:35 a.m.
Chooks-to-Go President and team owner Ronald Mascariñas stood firm on his vision of sending a Philippine squad to the Paris Olympics next year— that explains why head trainer Chico Lanete and his charges are working doubly hard.
“I am excited about what this team can achieve, especially with our new reinforcements. The more games they play, the better they become as a team,” Mascariñas said.
“We will always be here to support them and keep our dream of seeing a Philippine 3×3 team in the 2024 Paris Olympics alive. The team has been preparing hard for their first FIBA 3×3 tournament of the year,” added the amiable godfather of Philippine 3×3.
Other ranked teams in the meet include world No. 5 Amsterdam of the Netherlands, world No. 20 Warsaw of Poland, and world No. 21 Düsseldorf of Germany.
The tilt will be made up of three stops and a final, with the winner after three stops will take home $15,000 and a ticket to Manila Masters, while the second and third placers will bag $10,000 and $5,000.
In the Final event, the top team will earn $15,000 and a slot to the Macau Masters. The second and third placers will get $7,000 and $5,000, respectively.
Watch the games on Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Facebook page.