Chooks tournament to boost PH Olympic hopes

The Philippines’ bid to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics’ 3×3 event is set to get a major boost as the new year comes off wraps.

Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 is set to bolster the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ campaign in generating points to qualify for the Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020 by mounting a national tournament.

“The biggest points comes from joining the World Tour. That’s our goal. In one year, there are around 40 tours around the world,” said tournament commissioner Eric Altamirano.

“Our goal is to join more of [the World Tours] because participating affords us points. But again, before joining the World Tour, you have to have your own league,” he added.

Twelve teams are slated to bill the opening conference of the tournament. Several squads from the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League have signified their intention to join the tournament. Also joining are Zark’s Burger Quezon City, along with clubs from Pasig, Cebu, and Davao Occidental.

“Out of this 3×3 league that we are initiating is where we will pick the pro team that will represent the country in the World Tour which starts some time in April,” Altamirano stressed.

A conference will be broken down into six legs, all of which will have a champion. In the final phase, all of the teams will be ranked according to points.

The champion will take home a whopping P1 million.