The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has taken steps to bolster its 3x3 basketball program in the aftermath of the Gilas Pilipinas’ winless campaign in the recently concluded FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Austria.
Ryan Gregorio, the SBP’s special assistant to president, Al S. Panlilio, said they now have a four-point program that puts an emphasis on the recruitment of ace 3x3 players, whether that’s here in the country or abroad.
“The first order of business is to encourage and identify 3x3 players who will be dedicated on the 3x3 discipline while also taking advantage of the flexibility of FIBA in terms of eligibility in 3x3,” said Gregorio in a report on Spin.ph.
“We know that there are a lot of good players out there who have Filipino blood but probably won’t be able to play in the PBA due to the current rules so it will be up to us in the federation to look for these talents and show them that a career in 3x3 is possible in the Philippines,” he added.
Another thing that the SBP would like to do is to seek assistance from the very best 3x3 players in the world, to help the national pool become more well versed in the 3x3 ways.
“Although we have talented players, 3x3 is a different game altogether so it is a top priority for the SBP to identify a 3x3 specialist from a top-ranked country that could help with our program,” said Gregorio.
“Qatar got help from Serbia’s Dusan Bulut, the second-ranked 3x3 player in the world so there’s a clear benefit in the transfer of knowledge, especially from European countries that already figured out how to be dominant in the 3x3 game.”
Gregorio also shared that the upcoming PBA 3x3 will do well to raise the game’s profile in the country.
“This is important because the higher the level of 3x3 played in the PBA, the better it will be for the SBP’s whole program," relayed Gregorio. "Outside of our partnership with the PBA, the SBP always has an open line of communication and cooperation with private entities and local promoters like CTG to further promote 3x3 basketball.”
The SBP is also looking to host more international 3x3 competitions to help players gain more ranking points as well as give them more experience.