3X3 and the Olympic Dream

- July 06, 2019

Will the Philippines ever qualify for the Olympics in basketball? When was the last time the Philippines played in the Olympics, the world’s most recognized multi-sport event that is staged every four years? With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just around the corner, will we see Pinoy basketball players there? Hasn’t it always been an athlete’s dream to make it to the Olympics?

You want answers more than questions, right? First, reality bites. Our chances of making it to the Olympics in basketball are very slim. Only the top 12 teams in the world compete in the basketball event at every Olympics and the Philippines has to go through a very tough Olympic Qualifier tournament if it wants to make it all the way to Tokyo. Our best finish in Olympic basketball was fifth place way back in 1936, and the last time we qualified for the Olympics was in 1972 (13^th place). With that settled, is it all over for the Olympic Dream? Not at all as we dream on even more. The good news is that 3X3 basketball is now a regular event at the Olympics. It’s one of the biggest growing segments in the basketball world, and even has its own series of tournaments, separate from the regular 5-on-5 basketball. In fact, some players have made playing 3X3 basketball their career, earning a living in this unique half-court game that we all experienced when we were younger. After all, didn’t we all start playing pick-up games on a half-coutt with just one ring? Don’t look now, but it’s already an Olympic sport. And the even better news is that the Philippines has better chances of making it back to Olympics basketball via the 3X3 route versus the regular 5-on-5 full-court game.

The 3X3 game has truly grown worldwide and it is highlighted with a series of international events featuring the best teams and players in the world. The unique and good thing about 3X3 is that they have a systematic way of ranking the best teams and players via a ratings system, with points as a basis. To have a chance to make it to the Olympics, a country must be ranked among the top 20 teams in the world. To achieve this, a country must be busy with 3X3 events held both locally and in the international scenes. The more 3X3 activities means more points for a national sports federation and for individual players. As of yesterday, the Philippines is ranked 33^rd in the world for men with 5,429,482 points. As a benchmark, Serbia is the top 3X3 country with 35,367,650 points. The 20^th ranked team that we want to overtake is Hungary with its 8,016,240 points. Is it doable? If you ask Chooks to Go President Ronald Mascariñas, he’ll say, “Kaya, para sa bayan.” Mascariñas, a native of Butuan who will speak Bisaya to you once he knows you’re a Cebuano, has become the leading force in promoting 3X3 basketball with the goal of making it to the Olympics. For this reason, they set up the Chooks to Go 3X3 basketball league, a series of 3X3 tournaments that are spread throughout the year. These are held at different malls, including a visit to SM Seaside City last month. There are regular teams playing in the circuit featuring a mix of former collegiate, Fil-Ams and active MPBL and PBA D-League players. Two of these teams are now ranked in the top ten of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour team standings. Pasig Chooks is ranked 8^th while Balanga Chooks is ranked 9^th. Alvin Pasaol of Balanga Chooks is ranked #125 in the world rankings as a player. Not bad at all for a 3X3 community that really got going only this year. And while the series is ongoing, the country’s 3X3 teams are also participating in the FIBA World Tour and Challenger series of games to gain those precious points for ranking purposes. Playing in these international 3X3 events means more points in terms of value. The tougher or higher level of a tournament, the higher points a team and its players gain for its country’s basketball federation. Just last week, two 3X3 teams played in China while another is France today. With all these, the country hopes to gain momentum to barge into the top 20 of the world. It will be tough but someone’s got to do it.

We’re both emotional and delighted at these developments since Cebu is part of all this. If you recall, Chooks to Go held one of the biggest 3X3 events in the world last January at the Manok ng Bayan 3X3 at the Sisters of Mary School Boystown and Girlstown where over 2,500 players played on two days of 3X3 ball. Little did we know that this would be the start of Chooks to Go’s love affair with 3X3 basketball. With the Olympic dream there and “para sa bayan” as a battlecry, it was moot and academic that Chooks to Go would go all out for this. I’m not privy to how much they’ve spent so far in this quest, but I’m sure it isn’t peanuts. The staging of weekend tournaments in malls where people watch for free, and sending teams abroad are huge expenses for even the biggest conglomerates of the country. I pray that many patronize their products and brands to keep 3X3 going. I also pray that more corporate sponsors or outfits support 3X3 basketball as there is still a lot of room for growth.

Here’s to 3X3 basketball. Let’s get to know it, love it and support the country’s Olympic dream.

Chooks to Go President Ronald Macariñas with the 3X3 teams that played in international 3X3 events in China and France, and the SBP Regional Directors.