The International Basketball Federation has rescheduled the 3X3 Basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Originally scheduled to take place from March 18 to 22 in Bengaluru, India, the event was suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There are three Tokyo Olympics slots at stake in the tournament, which will now take place from May 26 to 30, 2021, in Graz, Austria.
This will be the first-ever FIBA-sanctioned tournament to take place in Austria.
“FIBA is delighted that the road to the Olympics will stop in Graz’s iconic Hauptplatz, and that the Austrian authorities have vowed to make it the greenest, most sustainable event to date, which is entirely in line with our concept of the reduced ecological footprint of 3×3,” said FIBA Europe Executive Director Kamil Novak.
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 players and top-ranked halfcourt players Joshua Munzon and Alvin Pasaol will still headline the team, together with Southeast Asian Games gold medalists CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa.
The groupings will remain the same, with the Philippines still grouped with Slovenia, France, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic in Group C.
Speaking on behalf of the Chooks-to-Go contingent, league owner Ronald Mascariñas said that his side will be ready for it.
“We will be ready come 2021,” said the amiable executive. “For us in Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3, we will resume operations once the government allows us to do so. We will use that tournament to help keep our players sharp while also continuing to bring in topnotch coaches like Coach Stefan Stojacic to help train the team.”
