FILE — Ignacio Soriano’s visit to Bounty Agro Ventures Inc office back in 2019. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has reaffirmed Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3’s status as its partner in the Philippines.
Ignacio Soriano, chief of Fiba 3X3, hailed the major contributions of the league in boosting the country’s bid to book a spot in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament from May 26-30 in Graz, Austria.
“Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 has been a key partner of Fiba for the development of 3×3 in the Philippines over the past years,” said Soriano.
“It’s a pro league that has generated so much activity and ranking points for the Philippines, that it has played a significant role in bringing the country to the brink of the Olympics at the Fiba 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.”
The league, which also hosted the inaugural Fiba 3X3 Super Quest and the country’s first staging of a Challenger tournament, has just gained professional status last year after a successful season.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the league still managed to push through with the President’s Cup inside a bubble environment at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
“We have been very impressed with the way Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 has presented its games so far. The fan experience at the 2020 bubble was particularly eye-catching and a source of inspiration for our own events, both in terms of the look and feel of the venue and media and TV coverage,” Soriano said.
This year, the league is set to host the Fiba 3X3 Manila Masters which tips off either in the second or third quarter of the year.”We’re looking forward to bringing the Fiba 3×3 World Tour back to the Philippines in 2021, after two amazing Masters in 2014 and 2015.
“Moreover, we’re keeping a close eye on the development of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 pro league, which has brought competitive teams and tons of great ideas for the development of our own Fiba 3×3 events,” said Soriano.
Soriano also hopes the partnership with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 will continue to expand the growth of the sport not just in the country but also in the region.
“In order to fully grow as a standalone basketball discipline, 3×3 needs dedicated players who elevate their game to the specificities of 3×3 and can act as ambassadors during the entire year. A 3×3 basketball pro league offers a unique platform for the development of these top players, who will convert fans worldwide to follow and play 3×3,” Soriano said.
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 has no plans of letting up.
“For 2021 and beyond, we will continue with what we are doing. Of course, there will be a lot of new faces in our league but the mission remains the same which is to prove that our athletes can compete with the world’s best,” Ronald Mascariñas, Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president, said.