The Zamboanga Valientes will compete in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 on October 21 to 30 at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
“This is a big opportunity for the Valientes to be able to play in the first professional 3×3 in the country and we want it to be more meaningful since we are the only team that will represent Zamboanga City, with all the players born in Zamboanga City,” said Junnie Navarro, son of team’s co-owner Cory Navarro.
The Valientes will parade in the 3×3 bubble ex-Philippine Basketball Association player Rudy Lingganay, Gino Jumaoas, Darwin Cordero, Das Esa, Arar De Leon, Med Salim and 3×3 veteran Jon Rebollos.
“Zamboangueños are very proud of this team since this is the only team that has full-blooded Zamboangueño in it to play and represent Zamboanga,” said coach Joseph Romarate of the team, owned by philanthropist and businesswoman Navarro and Mike Venezuela.
In last year’s 3×3, the Valientes showed their ability to compete by outplaying competitive teams. They even pushed to the edge the Pasig Kings, the champion of the last season of the Melmac Cup. Zamboanga lost by just a point in the elimination round to Pasig.
The Zamboangueños also received solid support from Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco, who also congratulated the team and the 3×3 league for resuming the games after seven months without activity due to the lockdown brought by the pandemic.
