TRAVELLING 6,672 miles or 17 hours and 25 minutes from Manila to Paris should not pose a problem.
What gnaws at the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 squad is the tough task of earning a million points to reach the French capital and the Olympics two years from now.
For team owner and Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas, the Filipino cagers are out to make the impossible possible.
“We’re currently No. 31 in the world. At the same time last year, we’re No. 49. In the old rules, we had to be in the top 24. We should be gunning for Top 3. In the world rankings, the current No. 3 is Latvia with 3.4 million points,” Mascariñas said last Monday during the official announcement of the global partnership forged between Chooks-to-Go and FIBA 3×3 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.
“We’re practically over 3 million points behind Latvia. The Philippines men’s 3×3 team has 402,976 points. We should jack up,” he added.
Mascariñas was joined in the event by FIBA 3×3 head of events and partnership Ignacio Soriano.
The Chooks pool led by coach Aldin Ayo, assistant coaches Mark Yee and Chico Lanete, and players Mike Nzeusseu, Zach Huang, Mac Tallo, Dennis Santos, and new addition Fil-Canadian Brandon Ramirez were also present.
Soriano is excited for the partnership between the FIBA 3×3 and the country’s only pro 3×3 league that will be in charge of organizing events and sending Philippine representatives to the world circuit.
“Since the very beginning, Chooks-to-Go was considered as very close friends. Now with the global partnership, you are considered as a brother,” Soriano said.
“Now, we are in the same family. We are extremely excited about this partnership. It’s not only about the events but also about the development of 3×3 basketball in the whole region and not just the Philippines.”
