MANILA head coach Aldin Ayo will be utilizing the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Invitational powered by TM to give his team more 3x3 games to work with and gain experience from heading to the 2021 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi Masters on Oct. 29-30.
Bannering the brand HeiHei in the tournament, Ayo said the local tournament will be crucial for his team, which just has two international tournaments under its belt ever since its inception—one in Doha last March and another in Montreal last September.
“I’m happy because we are going to have games which we lacked,” said Ayo, who is in his first year in handling the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 program. “Hopefully, after this, we learn more about adjusting in tournaments.”
Listed to play for Manila are Chico Lanete, Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, and Cameroonian reinforcement Mike Nzeusseu. Reserves Mark Yee and Dennis Santos will play alongside Ralph Tansingco, and Jayvee Marcelino in Homegrown Grains Bocaue squad.
For the one-day tournament endorsed by FIBA 3x3 and regulated by the Games and Amusements Board, Manila will be grouped with Adam Esli Pasay and Pacquiao Coffee Bacolod to form Pool A while Bocaue is slotted with MNL Kingpin Quezon City and ARQ Builders-Cebu in Pool B.
Pool C will consist of Pasig Kingpins, Zamboanga Valientes MLV, and BRT Sumisip-Basilan while Pool D has AMACOR Mandaluyong, Essen Immunoboost Sarangani, and RBR Cabiao Nueva Ecija.
The top two teams of each pool will advance to the knockout playoffs later in the day with Pool A crossing over with C while Pools B and D face-off.
Ayo knows that all the teams see Manila as the favorite. And it’s a standard they are embracing.
“You don’t lose; you learn. We are going to accept the challenge but what is important is we improve,” said Ayo as the tournament also has a P170,000 prize pool with the champion taking home P100,000. (JNP)