Cebuano basketball great Paul Desiderio will make his return to the sport as he suits up for Talisay EGS in the 2022 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Quest 2.0 on November 20 at the Ayala Malls Solenad in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Desiderio retired from the PBA back in September after he was dropped from a three-team trade that would have sent him to NLEX. After recovering from a torn ACL, the former University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons star will team up with Pilipinas Super League 21-Under Visayas MVP Matt Flores, former Cesafi Mythical Five forward Jerome Napao, and ex-University of Santo Tomas big man Steve Akomo.
They will be taking on teams from Botolan, Butuan, General Santos, Makati, and Quezon City, in a bid to topple the country's top two 3x3 teams, Cebu Chooks! and Manila Chooks!, and book a ticket to the 2022 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters.
Celebrity basketball player Gerald Anderson will lead Botolan Hayati, along with Eduardo ‘Young JV’ Kapunan, Joe Vargas, and Emman Ojuola.
Butuan Chooks! will still have JP Cauilan and Jason Strait. Reinforcing them are Rhaffy Octobre and Moustapha Arafat.
Composing Makati MNL Kingpin are Kako Morales, Kenz Diokno, Kobe Pableo, and Marco Sario while General Santos will have Chester Sera Josef, Andro Catipay, Irvin Mendoza, and Harold Talan.
"The composition of the teams are exciting as this is the first time in a year that we will be holding an open tournament," said Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas.
"We hope that Coach Chico Lanete can find some players here who he can recruit for the 2023 season," added the godfather of Philippine 3x3.
Cebu Chooks! will still have the quartet of Mac Tallo, Brandon Ramirez, Mike Nzeusseu, and Marcus Hammonds while Manila Chooks! will field Dennis Santos, Dave Ando, Henry Iloka, and new boy Leon Lorenzana.