Chooks-to-Go and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas began their 3×3 basketball campaign in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Thursday morning.
Together with coach Mark Solano, Kobe Paras, and David Carlos, Chooks-to-Go have organized a tryout and a pocket tournament for the hopefuls who want to crack the National 3×3 Basketball Team.
“I’m pretty sure – sabi ko nga sa mga bossing natin – makakakita tayo ng diamond in the rough diyan. Pretty sure,” said SBP’s 3×3 program director Mark Solano.
A total of 48 players turned out for the tryout. They were divided into 12 teams in the all-day event. Of course, all the players were registered to FIBA’s Play app that will help accumulate ranking points for the Philippines.
“Nakakataba ng puso ang suporta ng mga taga-Gapan sa atin,” expressed Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president Ronald Mascariñas. “Full support ang local government nila headed by Mayor Emeng Pascual.
“Sana magtuloy-tuloy ito as we scour the country for the top 3×3 talent we have,” the amiable executive added.
Chooks-to-Go ambassador Kobe Paras and pro dunk artist David Carlos also put on a show with their acrobatic jams while giving a pep talk to the hopefuls.
“I think the country’s been struggling with finding the right players at the right time, because as you can see there are a lot of players that can’t join specific tournaments because of excuses,” Paras said about Chooks-to-Go’s goal of forming a full-time national team.
“This is great not just for me but for other athletes because me, when I was young, I was given a lot of opportunities in the game of basketball. So this is a great thing that Chooks-to-Go is doing because it gives opportunities for a lot of Filipinos,” the 20-year-old added.
Chooks-to-Go and SBP will continue to hold tryouts until October before completing a pool that will compose of Paras and seven other players.
