The latest campaign to join in this campaign is this project from Ginebra San Miguel.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will take place across the country for those who are over the age of 18.
Participants just need to collect either GSM Blue caps or Ginebra San Miguel seals.
Champions will be determined within the barangays, with the winners to receive PhP 3,000 and GSMI products. They would then get a crack to be a national champion, as the top sixteen teams across the country will participate in a knockout tournament.
The inaugural qualifier will happen on March 12 at Santolan, Pasig City. Teams from Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan Laguna, Quezon Province, Cavite, Bulacan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Paranaque, Rizal, Pasay City, Cebu, Davao and Bacolod will have their respective qualifiers until May 7.
More details about this can be seen on the Ginebra San Miguel Facebook page.
MEMBERS of Pura- Cebu pose, along with SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, 3rd left, SBP administrative and legal consultants Moying Martelino, 2nd left, and Atty. Edgar Francisco, left, and SBP deputy executive director Bernie Atienza, right, after ruling the SBP-Talk 'N Text U18 Tatluhan National Finals at Robinson’s Place Manila in Ermita.
A group of Cebuanos claimed the recently-concluded SBP-Talk 'N Text U18 Tatluhan National Finals at the Robinson's Place Ermita.
Composed of Carlo Cesar Ortega, Jaur Edrel Ignam, Lucky Ecarma and Errol Pastor; Pura of Cebu defeated Olongapo (composed of Allen Fomera, Edler Tirona, Renz San Luis, and Mark Macatlang, who are all from Lyceum-Subic), 21-12 to rule the nationwide tournament.
To gain entry in the finals, Cebu defeated Bacolod, 13-12, while Olongapo defeated Ateneo de Naga, 16-15. Naga then defeated Bacolod, 17-14, to claim third in this tournanent.
In taking home the championship, Cebu gets a slot in the FIBA 3x3 Manila Masters on August 1-2, as one of the three Pinoy teams, with the other two being PBA selections.
In the previous edition of the Manila Masters, Manila West (composed of Terrence Romeo, Aldrech Ramos, Rey Guevarra, and KG Canaleta, with Eric Altamirano and John Flores as head coaches) secured the title over Qatar to gain entry into the finals in Sendai, Japan.
For the 2015 edition, which will be held at Robinson's Place Manila, the top two teams will make it to the finals in Abu Dhabi on October 15 and 16. Joining them will be the outstanding teams from the other stops in the FIBA 3x3 scene for this year: Prague, Beijing, Lausanne, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro.
The 2015 FIBA Under-18 3x3 World Championships will kick off tomorrow in Debrecen, Hungary; with the Philippines seeking to make an impact in the global scene in this novel version of the sport of basketball.
The Pinoy quartet of Kobe Paras (LA Cathedral HS), Mike Nieto (Ateneo de Manila University), Ricci Rivero (La Salle-Greenhills), and Richard Escoto (Far Eastern University) are seeded into Group A, alongside hosts Hungary, Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland, and Uruguay. Accompanying the players are LSGH head coach John Flores and Philippine basketball legend Benjie Paras, with SBP legal consultant Atty. Edgar Francisco set to join them later on. Francisco will be attending the FIBA 3x3 World Congress that will be held at Kossuth Square.
Their pool schedule is as follows (Manila time):
June 4 vs Poland 10:50pm
June 5 vs Hungary 1:20am
June 5 vs Kazakhstan 11:10pm
June 6 vs Russia 1:40am
June 6 vs Uruguay 8:10pm
Here are the other groups:
Pool B: Andorra, Egypt, Germany, Guatemala, Lithuania, Romania
Pool C: Brazil, Estonia, France, New Zealand, Turkey, Vietnam
Pool D: Argentina, Georgia, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Spain, United States
There is also a women's version ongoing.
Pool A: Hungary, Spain, Israel, Venezuela, Germany, Slovakia
Pool B: Poland, China, New Zealand, France, Estonia, Guam
Pool C: United States, Italy, Egypt, Switzerland, Romania, Andorra
Pool D: Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey, Indonesia
Side events include a shootout (Qualifiers: June 6 2:10am; Final: June 8, 1:10am), a women's skills competition (Qualifiers: June 5, 11:40pm; Knockout Rounds: June 6, 9pm), and a slam dunk contest (Qualifiers: June 6, 11pm; Semifinal and Final: June 8, 2:10am). Many people remember Kobe's efforts in the previous edition.
Escoto and Nieto will represent the country in the shootout category.
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In local 3x3-related news, qualifiers for the SBP-Talk 'N Text U18 Tatluhan National Championships are ongoing in 16 municipalities, with the capper to be held at Robinson's Place Ermita on June 21. The champion earns a slot in the 3-team Filipino delegation for the Asia-Pacific FIBA 3x3 World Masters set to take place at the same venue this coming August, joining two PBA selections.
The Philippines seeks to recreate the magic made by the Manila West team of Terrence Romeo, Rey Guevarra, KG Canaleta and Aldrech Ramos, who topped the Manila leg and made it to the FIBA 3x3 World Masters in Japan.
The SBP sees the continued participation of the country in the 3x3 championships as a "high point" for its centerpiece grassroots development program. It already has yielded immediate success, and it is to culminate in the hosting of the World Tour Finals in 2017.
FIBA 3x3 basketball communications manager Julien Debove (center) explains pre-competition requirements to Team Manila West after their arrival in Sendai, Japan.
Half of Team Manila West arrived on Thursday in Japan, with Meralco Bolts forward Rey Guevarra and Globalport's Terrence Romeo accompanied by La Salle Greenhills head coach John Flores.
The other half, composed of Aldrech Ramos and KG Canaleta of the NLEX Road Warriors, will arrive on Friday alongside SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios.
Team Manila West advanced to the Japan Finals after conquering the Manila Masters this past August, defeating Doha, 21-17. They will be grouped in Pool B alongside Sao Paolo and Bucharest, whom they will play on Saturday afternoon (1:10pm against Sao Paolo, 2:55pm against Bucharest).
The Brazilians are the champions of the Rio Masters, defeating Santos 21-12, while the Romanians are the runners-up in the Prague Masters, losing to Novi Sad, 16-14.
If the Filipinos advance out of Pool B, they will be facing someone from Pool C.
Although the world champions qualified to play in Sendai, a couple of the players were injured while participating in the Asian Games, forcing the Qataris to withdraw. Replacing them in Pool C is Jakarta.
Guevara could only marvel at the size of their opposition in the World Tour Finals, noting that in the Manila Masters, they had to deal with small opposition, except for Doha. He remains unfazed by them, however, noting that they can overcome size with team effort, ball movement, cooperation and full understanding of his teammates.
Manila West head coaches: John Flores on the left, Eric Altamirano on the right
The path towards the knockout rounds in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour have been determined, with Manila West having to deal with Sao Paolo and Bucharest in Pool B.
The Pinoys will have to finish in the top two of their Pool to advance into the knockout rounds.
The quartet of KG Canaleta, Rey Guevarra, Aldrech Ramos, and Terrence Romeo defeated reiging world champions Doha, 21-17, in the final of the Manila Masters to earn their berth in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Eric Altamirano and John Flores will be handling coaching duties, while SBP executive director Sonny Barrios will be leading the Filipino delegation.
Altamirano admitted that the team needs to reacquaint themselves with each other, as he only managed to meet up with them just this week. He also acknowledged the need to "get used to the rules again," suggesting some practice games may be arranged with the other competitors.
Comprising the other teams in the FIBA 3x3 finals are:
Pool A: Denver (US), Santos (Brazil), and Novi Sad (Serbia)
Pool C: Kranj (Slovenia), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Wukesong (China)
Pool D: Saskatoon (Canada), Trbovlje (Slovenia), and Kobe (Japan)
Hello and I wish you all a Happy National Heroes Day in the Motherland.
In a sport that is regarded highly by its citizens, any achievement by someone or by a team garner attention in these parts. Sure, the opponent is currently composed of imports plying their trade in the continent, but we Filipinos take pride in beating the Americans in the process of winning a tournament, something we have not accomplished in 14 years. Look at the curated reaction from the Motherland.
It was a satisfying victory for a nation starving for success in a sport it dearly loves. And as such, they come home on a holiday that honors heroism, something they have in spades.
How will Andy Murray fare in his first major since his gold medal-winning performance?