Altamirano welcomes PBA’s plans for stand-alone 3×3 event

FILE — Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league commissioner Eric Altamirano. INQUIRER PHOTO/TRISTAN TAMAYO

MANILA, Philippines — Eric Altamirano doesn’t treat the PBA’s own 3×3 tournament as competition, but rather a “welcome development” in terms of the sport’s growth in the country.

Altamirano is the commissioner of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league, the first of its kind in the country which recently gained professional status.

“For me, it’s really a welcome development to have another group promoting 3×3,” Altamirano, who is planning to stage a second season in a bubble in Laguna in September, said during the PSA Forum Tuesday.

The PBA is eager to launch a “stand-alone” 3×3 tournament despite the coronavirus pandemic. The league was originally set to stage the inaugural tournament during the All-Filipino Cup but the pandemic pushed it back to next year.

To get things rolling, the PBA has already created a committee, which will be headed by Alaska governor Dickie Bachmann, that will oversee the project.

The committee, formed during a board meeting last Friday, is also composed of Erick Arejola of NorthPort, Atty. Raymond Zorrilla of Phoenix, PBA technical official Joey Guanio and PBA legend Ronnie Magsanoc, who is representing the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

“They will form the system, policy, guidelines, format and everything about the tourney. Actually, they have already laid it out. They will make the finer details and complete the action plan,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial in Filipino.

Bachmann is scheduled to meet with the group this week.

“They’re going to talk about how the league will run and it will depend on how things will turn out, but I think it won’t start until next year.”