Locals take center stage once again as the Philippines makes its last push to earn a qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the staging of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Magiting Cup Sunday at SM Clark in Pampanga.
Twelve teams are vying for supremacy in the FIBA Quest-level tournament that will once again have five legs with Coca-Cola as its partner.
President’s Cup champion Equalivet Pasig gets a much-needed boost with top 3×3 player Joshua Munzon and No. 6 Dylan Ababou joining Leo de Vera and Travis Thompson.
Patriot’s Cup titlist Basilan Phenom CTC Construction, meanwhile, is aiming for back-to-back titles with Philippines No. 3 Franky Johnson now set to team up with Aris Dionisio and Davon Potts.
Perennial contender Wilkins Balanga is also hell-bent on finally breaking through, bringing back a potent core made up of world No. 122 Alvin Pasaol, Karl Dehesa, Santi Santillan, and Chris De Chavez.
Making their return for this conference are Zamboanga Valientes MLV (Jonathan Parreno, Das Esa, Jon Rebollos, and Mark Tano); Uling Roaster – Gulf Supreme Boosters Bulacan (Clarence Graham, Kobe Caronongan, Louis Montes, and Nelson Mendoza Jr.); Sogo Vigan (Christian Singson, Jan Jamon, Paulo Hubalde, and Jojo Cunanan); Thunder-Gold’s Gym Taguig (Inigo Arellano, Aurelio Opena Norberte Jr., Mark Anthony Taylor, and Geno Anderson) and Mindoro Tamaraws 7A (Francis Nathaniel Acedillo, Jay Remon Axalan, Luigi Natada, and Rodel Vaygan).
Five new teams will also get their feet wet in the first leg, namely J&J Pateros (Ervin Flores, RJ Deles, Kiddo Cabrera, and Rob Ricafort); Bicol Volcanoes (Andro Quinday, EJ Canelas, Mark Atabay, and Aldrianne Anglim); Partas Narvacan (Dan Reducto, Gian Abrigo, AJ Asis, and Pari Llagas); and Fyr Fyter Bacolod (Raymund Ilagan, Mark Yee, Mark dela Cruz, and Louie Medalla).
Basilan Phenom CTC Construction opens its quest for a repeat in Pool A when it battles Partas Narvacan and Fyr Fyter Bacolod, while Equalivet Pasig will meet Uling Roaster – Gulf Supreme Boosters Bulacan and Thunder-Gold’s Gym Taguig in Pool B.
Wilkins Balanga, on the other hand, is bracketed in Pool C with Sogo Vigan and Bicol Volcanoes, as Zamboanga Valientes MLV, Mindoro Tamaraws 7A, and J&J Pateros are in for a war in Pool D.
Unlike in the past two conferences, the top two teams in pool play will make it through to the crossover quarterfinals.
Besides the hostilities, a lavish opening ceremony will also take place at 12 noon that will celebrate the 22nd anniversary of Bounty Agro Ventures Inc.
Also taking place are the shootout and slam dunk competitions.
