GILAS 3X3 POOL. Members of the national pool for the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament pose with Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano (center, first row) after being formally unveiled on Thursday (Jan. 9, 2019). Basketball 3x3 will be played for the first time in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Photo courtesy of Chooks-To-Go)
MANILA -- The Philippine team to the inaugural FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) was unveiled on Thursday.
Ten players, namely Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Dylan Ababou, Karl Dehesa, Santi Santillan, Chris De Chavez, Gab Banal, Jaypee Belencion, Leo De Vera, and Ryan Monteclaro, were named into the Gilas 3x3 pool that will be the basis of the final lineup for the FIBA OQT.
The players are within the Top 15 in the FIBA 3x3 rankings for the Philippines.
The pool has been training actually since December with Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano and Serbian coaches Stefan Stojacic and Darko Krsman.
"The men's team is now heavy in preparation for the OQT [from] March [18-22]," Ronald Mascariñas, the owner of the Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3 league, said on Thursday.
"The Serbians will help us out who are the best players who will compose the team for the OQT,” he added.
FIBA 3x3 rules mandate that the final lineup will have six players with four of which within the Top 10 in the national ranking, meaning the core of the roster will come from the group of Munzon, Pasaol, Ababou, Dehesa, Santillan, De Chavez, and Banal.
In a separate development, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas tasked Ronnie Magsanoc to handle the national team as head coach.
Magsanoc is fresh from steering a Gilas 3x3 team composed of Philippine Basketball Association stars to the gold medal in the inaugural Southeast Asian Games men's 3x3 basketball event last month.
The top three teams in the OQT, which will take place in New Delhi, will qualify for the first Olympic 3x3 event in Tokyo. (PNA)
