CALAMBA, LAGUNA — The doors of the INSPIRE Sports Academy have officially opened for Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3, with seven squads entering the bubble on Tuesday.
Joshua Munzon and Alvin Pasaol’s Family’s Brand Sardines-Zamboanga City Chooks lead the initial contingent. In total, 12 teams will duke it out in the two week-long President’s Cup powered by TM.
Also going inside the ‘Calambubble’ were Uling Roasters-Butuan City, Bacolod Master Sardines, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, Palayan City Capitals, Porac-Big Boss Cement Green Gorillas, and Pasig-Sta. Lucia Realtors.
“It’s all systems go for us,” said league commissioner Eric Altamirano. “We can’t wait for all our teams to be there and start playing.”
A preseason tournament beginning October 19 will be the first games to take place in the bubble hosted inside NU’s new campus.
The first leg will then kick off on October 21, followed by three more legs every other day in this tournament that has Gatorade as its official hydration partner.
Finally, P1-million will be up for grabs in the Grand Finals of this FIBA 3×3-endorsed tournament slated for October 30.
The heavy favorite to win it all is, without a doubt, Zamboanga with national team players Munzon and Pasaol, together with pool members Troy Rike and Santi Santillan.
Also already inside the ‘Calambubble’ are Bacolod’s Anton Asistio, Chris Lalata, Choi Ignacio, Alfred Batino, and Robin Roño; Butuan’s Chico Lanete, Franky Johnson, Karl Dehesa, JR Alabanza, and Chris de Chavez; Pasig’s Ced Ablaza, Jhapz Bautista, Jeckster Apinan, and Felix Apreku;
Nueva Ecija’s Jai Reyes, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Gab Banal, Tonino Gonzaga, and Mac Sabellina; Palayan’s JP Sarao, Renz Palma, Clark Derige, and Bobby Balucanag; as well as Porac’s Dan Reducto, JP Belencion, Harry Petilos, and James Pado.
Dylan Ababou and Ryan Monteclaro, also of Porac, will follow tomorrow as well as the five remaining teams in Zamboanga Peninsula-Valientes MLV, Bicol 3×3 Pro, Saranggani Marlins, Pagadian City-Rocky Sports, and Petra Cement.
The players had to go through another round of testing before entering the state-of-the-art complex. They will have to undergo a two-day quarantine inside their rooms before getting to train.
