It’s all systems go as Chooks-to-Go and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas are set to break the world record for most number of participants in a FIBA 3×3 basketball tournament in Sisters of Mary School Boystown and Girlstown this weekend.
Currently, the FIBA-record for kids is at 1,114 participants, while the overall record saw 1,898 players.
For this two-day endeavor, the SBP is expecting 1,100 kids from Boystown on Saturday, with another 1,500 participant from Girlstown on Sunday.
But the possibility of breaking a record is just a by-product, with the grander goal being a part of the foundation of the country’s Olympic dream in 3×3 basketball.
“With this event, we are hoping for two things,” said Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas during the press conference for the event held at Bai Hotel in Cebu City.
“One is to teach the sport of 3×3 basketball to these kids. Though it is just like indoor basketball, iba ang rules at skillsets needed for 3×3. And we are hoping to see that the kids of Boystown and Girlstown will grow up and be part of our league Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3,” he shared.
“More importantly, we hope that we could instill the importance of pride for country to these kids. With Kobe and Thirdy, both of whom have represented the country well, the participants tomorrow and on Sunday will find their role models in them,” he added.
Former 3×3 youth team players Kobe Paras and Thirdy Ravena will serve as the mentors for the event.
“We in the SBP continue to promote the time-tested values given by sports like hard work, respect for authority, following rules and regulations,” added SBP executive director Sonny Barrios. “Lahat yun, if you expand and embrace it, the country, we think, will have a good future. It’s our way of contributing to nation-building.
“The youth is the hope of the fatherland and we share this value with Chooks-to-Go.”
