Paul Desiderio will be making his much-awaited return to the court this weekend as he leads the Talisay EGS squad in the 2022 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Quest 2.0 this Sunday at Ayala Malls Solenad in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Sidelined for quite some time after tearing his ACL, Desiderio will be entering unfamiliar territory as he shared this will be the first time to compete in an organized 3x3 game.
"Actually, first time ko mag-3x3 so wala talaga akong experience," the Liloan native said.
"Sabi nila mas pisikal ‘eto sa 5-on-5 and nakikita ko naman 'yun. Pero kami hindi kami sasali dito para mag-compete lang, gusto naming manalo."
Desiderio will be joined by young Cebuanos Dyll Roncal and Jerome Napao, along with reinforcement Steve Akomo. The team's head coach is Jerry Abuyabor.
For Desiderio, he hopes that 3x3 will be the rebirth he has been waiting for.
Last May, the 6-foot-1 scorer suffered an ACL injury. It forced him out of the game.
But with the winner of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Quest 2.0 earning a slot in the 2022 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters later this month, he saw it as an opportunity to have a crack at representing the country.
The competition, though, will be tough as the eight-team field is headlined by the country's top two 3x3 teams in Cebu Chooks! and Manila Chooks!.
Still, grateful is Desiderio for this new opportunity as he hopes that he can be part of Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3's teams for the next FIBA season.
"Para sa akin, gusto ko rin patunayan kina Boss Ronald [Mascariñas] na talagang nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila dahil hindi nila ako iniwan. Sana ma-prove ko sa kanila na hindi sila nagkamali."