PH teams post QF finishes in FIBA 3×3 WT
Credit to Author: JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA| Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2019 16:22:51 +0000
Philippine teams Pasig Chooks and Balanga Chooks came up with quarterfinal finishes in the 2019 FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters Doha on Friday night at the Katara Ampitheater in the Qatari capital.
Pasig (Grindhouse Kings) and Balanga (1Bataan Risers) lost to top-ranked squads at the start of the knockout round.
The Kings — composed of Joshua Munzon, Taylor Statham, French player Angelo Tsgarakis — suffered a 15-21 defeat to world No. 3 Riga Ghetto of Latvia.
Pasig finished fifth place in the 12-team tournament and took home $5,000.
Later on, the Risers — bannered by Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan, Karl Dehesa and American bruiser Travis Franklin — absorbed a 9-21 loss to No. 1 Liman of Serbia to finish sixth.
It was an impressive campaign though for the two Filipino ball clubs after the country’s four-year absence in the World Tour after.
Pasig swept Pool A with a 19-16 shocker over Liman and a 21-14 victory against Katara of Qatar while Balanga dominated Pool C with a 19-17 stunner over Riga and a 20-19 triumph against No. 14 Moscow Inanomo of Russia.
“We made a statement that we belong here in the World Tour,” said Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3×3 league commissioner Eric Altamirano.
“Seeing the level of play here and knowing that we can keep up with the world’s best, it will definitely make our players hungrier to get back in the next legs of the World Tour,” he added.
League owner Ronald Mascariñas vowed that they will continue competing in future FIBA-sanctioned 3×3 tourneys.
“Now that we are back in the game, we will join every 3×3 tournament (that) FIBA wants us to join,” said Mascariñas. “This is just the start for us. We will continue to raise the level of our league, hoping that one day we can be seen by the world as one of the elite 3×3 basketball countries.”
Pasig will next head to the Kunshan Challenger — a qualifier for the Chengdu Masters — on May 18 to 19.
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