Alvin Pasaol is not yet considering the next PBA Draft, as the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 star remains focused on helping the Philippines qualify for the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Pasaol is part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad set to participate in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will be held on May 26-30, 2021 in Graz, Austria.
“Focus muna kami kung paano kami manalo sa OQT,” he told the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association Forum webcast Tuesday, where he and league chief Eric Altamirano served as guests.
“Siguro pagkatapos na ng OQT bago ako magdesisyon kung magpapa-draft ba ako,” he added in the weekly session powered by SMART and presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, MILO, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), with Upstream Media as webcast partner.
The super scorer out of University of the East has long been regarded as one of the best cagers in the amateur ranks today, making him one of the most coveted talents among PBA ball clubs.
Many expected that Pasaol would enter last year’s draft, where he was a potential first-round pick. But he decided to skip the event in favor of helping the country realize the Olympic dream.
The 25-year-old is the second highest-ranked 3×3 player in the Philippines, making him a shoo-in for the Gilas squad as a country’s top two 3×3 players should be in the national team, per FIBA 3×3 rules.
There, he joins the no. 1 player Joshua Munzon and PBA stars Mo Tautuaa of San Miguel and Columbian main man CJ Perez. Tautuaa and Perez were part of the team that won gold in last year’s Southeast Asian Games.
“‘Yung main goal talaga namin is makalaro sa Olympics — makasama ang Pilipinas sa Olympics. ‘Yun muna ‘yung main goal ko ngayon.”
