Local three-on-three basketball action is set to resume after Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 got the green light to begin its new season.
Its initial request to stage its tournament denied, the now-recognized professional league recalibrated its push and was recently granted a provisional license to proceed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The league will stage its President’s Cup, now powered by TM, from Oct. 16 to 31 in a “bubble” setting inside the Inspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
“We are grateful for the Inter-Agency Task Force composed of the Games and Amusements Board, Department of Health, and Philippine Sports Commission for giving us the clearance to hold our bubble,” said league owner Ronald Mascariñas in a release.
“All of us are excited to get the ball rolling for our season.”
The President’s Cup will see 12 teams competing, namely, Zamboanga Chooks-to-Go, Uling Roasters-Butuan City, Bacolod-Masters Sardines, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, Palayan City Capitals, Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes MLV, Porac Big Boss Cement MSC, Bicol 3×3 Pro, Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors, Saranggani Marlins, Pagadian City Rocky Sports, and Petra Cement.
Zamboanga is composed of national team pool players Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, and Santi Santillan.
Mr. Mascarinas said the league is committed to having a successful staging of its new season, which is why they built their schedule tightly, putting the safety of all the participants above all things.
The teams will have their final practice in UP Epsilon Chi Center in Quezon City from Oct. 5 to 7. For the next two days, everyone entering the bubble will have their RT-PCR testing.
From Oct. 8 to 13, everyone will be under pre-bubble home quarantine after which another series of RT-PCR testing will be done before entering Inspire Academy from Oct. 14 to 15.
Teams will begin practice from Oct. 16 to 18 in Laguna.
A preseason tournament will be held on Oct. 19 before the league begins its first leg on Oct. 21.
Three more legs will be played on Oct. 23, 25 and 27. The Grand Finals, which has P1 million at stake, takes place on Oct. 30.
Everyone in the bubble will leave the venue on Oct. 31 and will undergo a 14-day home quarantine.
Apart from getting 3×3 basketball going anew in the country after some time because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 is also using the tournament to help the national team, which will see action at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo
