Fiba 3×3 World Tour caging gets going

MANILA, Philippines—From its humble street beginnings, 3×3 basketball will step onto the world stage when the 2014 Fiba 3×3 World Tour Manila-Masters blasts off Saturday at Mega Fashion Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong.

With four teams, the Philippines will scramble for the two tickets at stake to the Fiba World Tour Finals in Tokyo on Oct. 11 and 12 against eight other foreign challengers from different cities in Asia.

Manila South, represented by national champion Naga City, faces Medan at 3:40 p.m. before the PBA-powered Manila West squares off with Kobe at 4:10.

Joshua Irvin Ayo, Adonis Christian Nismal, Karl Kenneth Estrada and Raphael Jude De Vera play for the Naga City Titans while Manila West will field in Terrence Romeo of Globalport, KG Canaleta of Talk ‘N Text, Meralco’s Rey Guevarra and Air21’s Aldrech Ramos.

Alaska’s Calvin Abueva, Vic Manuel, San Mig Coffee’s Ian Sangalang and Jake Pascual of NLEX banners Manila North which tangles with Xinzhuang while Manila East, composed of Ateneo’s Ousseynou Karbala Gueye, Darryl Henderson Jr., John Adrian Wong and Jerie Marlon Pingoy, takes on Surabaya.

The tournament, presented by Smart, was organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas led by president Manny V. Pangilinan, with Nike and Samsung as founding partners.

After a single-round elimination per group, the top two teams move to the eight-team knockout quarterfinals. The winners dispute the title with the champion earning $10,000 and the runnerup $5,000.

Coaches Eric Altamirano and John Flores have been tapped to prepare and train the four Philippine teams on the nuances of the event.

Other foreigns teams: Jakarta, Doha, Yogyakarta and Auckland. Bracketed in Pool A are: Jakarta, Medan and Manila South; Pool B: Doha, Kobe, Manila West; Pool C: Auckland, Xinzhuang and Manila North; and Pool D: Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Manila East.