Team Philippines moved up on the ladder towards the Olympics after being named as one of the 20 nations that earned a spot to continue in the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) 3×3 Men’s Basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).
The Men’s Philippine National 3×3 Basketball Team was identified by FIBA on November 1 as one of the national teams that qualified to join the tournament in India in March 2020.
The country’s Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Men’s Basketball Team will vie for the Top 3 qualifiers to join the inaugural event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
FIBA President Hamane Niang and Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said in their announcement Friday in Utsonomiya Japan that the Philippine team is grouped with Slovenia, France, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic in Pool C.
In Pool B are USA, Lithuania, Belgium, South Korea, and Mongolia while Poland, Brazil, Turkey, and Spain are in Pool A. Pool D has the Netherlands, Latvia, Canada, Croatia, and host country, India.
The top 3 countries in the India OQT will move on to join Olympics qualifiers Serbia, Russia, China, and Japan in competitions for gold medals at the Summer Olympics.
The national team competing in Delhi will be composed of two players from the top 10 and two players from the top 50 or players that have the minimum number of ranking points.
Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league commissioner and program director Eric Altamirano disclosed Saturday evening that Joshua Munzon and Alvin Pasaol are the two most qualified to lead the national team.
“Obviously, we need to have the top ten players in the country, especially the top two. Joshua and Alvin are most likely going to be part of the team,” said Altamirano during the thanksgiving celebration of the country’s inclusion to the OQT.
“We’re very happy that the Philippines will be competing in the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament for a shot at making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 3×3 is an area where Filipino basketball players can really excel and we’re delighted that a Filipino basketball team will get to test their skills against the world’s best,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio.
The Philippines’ 3×3 team racked up points over a period of 9 months to qualify for the OQT.
Team Philippines’ basketball players have been performing excellently at the International Basketball Federation’s events, among them, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons Ricci Rivero who was showcased as he competed together with fellow national players Rhon Jhay Abarrientos, Rhayyan Amsali, and Jeepy Faundo. and won the pool at the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup 2018.
David Carlos won the bronze medal in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup slam dunk contest while Perlas Pilipinas’ Janine Pontejos won the 2018 Fiba 3×3 World Cup Shootout Final.
SEND congratulations and well wishes in the comments below to the Men’s Philippine National 3×3 Basketball Team Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas for securing a berth at the Olympics Qualifying Tournament!
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