Belo set to lead Philippines in 3×3 World Championship

Mac Belo. Photo by Fiba.com

Mac Belo will captain the ship as the Philippines competes in the 2016 Fiba 3×3 World Championship in October.

Joining him in the competition are longtime teammate Russel Escoto and 3×3 veterans Karl Dehesa and Rey Guevarra.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Sonny Barrios confirmed the names on Friday with a few weeks before the tournament set in Guangzhou, China from October 11 to 15.

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Belo and Escoto have already made the ascent to the Gilas Pilipinas squad which competed in the 2016 Fiba Asia Challenge, while Dehesa (Manila North) and Guevarra (Manila West) have already participated in the halfcourt wars in last year’s Fiba 3×3 Manila Masters.

The Philippines was slotted in Pool C, together with European contenders Spain, Poland, Romania, and Hungary.

Pool A is undoubtedly the competition’s Group of Death, featuring last year’s top three finishers in Qatar, Serbia, and Russia. They will be joined by Italy and New Zealand in the group.

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Pool B features European champions Slovenia, as it will play Andorra, Egypt, Indonesia, and Uruguay.
Host country China is slotted in Pool D, as it will face teams from European bronze medalist Netherlands, USA, Japan, and Turkey.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the crossover knockout rounds to determine this year’s 3×3 world champion.