THE 3x3 game had been good to coach Mau Belen and Samboy De Leon and they now want to give back to the sport.
Their plan is to keep the 3x3 alive after it was discontinued by the PBA. In this regard, they have joined a group spearheading the Half Court 3x3 basketball tournament that is set to begin on Sept. 7 at the Okada Manila’s Cyrstal Pavilion.
There will be a men’s and women’s division composed of 16 teams each.
Dominant Triple Giga
Belen and De Leon are no strangers to the half-court game as they were together with multi-titled TNT Triple Giga, which dominated the PBA 3x3 tournament.
The telecommunication franchise won a total of six conference championships including a grand slam in Season 2, while winning 19 leg titles along the way.
With the PBA 3x3 tournament shelved indefinitely, Belen, De Leon, and the other TNT members Chester Saldua and Matt Salem decided to form the group to keep the half-court game afloat and sustain its gains in the country.
“Binuo namin itong grupo in order to give more opportunities sa mga manlalaro. Kasi kami nabigyan ng opportunities sa PBA 3x3, so gusto lang namin ibalik ito para lumago pa yung mga naglalaro ng 3x3 dito sa atin,” said the 32-year-old De Leon, who is recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered last January during the 3x3 Third Conference.
“3x3 feels something special talaga,” said Belen during the launching of the meet at the Okada Hotel. “Kung kami man yung maliit na tutulong, kung kami man yung malaking tutulong. Kung anuman ang puwede naming gawin to elevate the sport to the next level because it really has a very good potential in terms of Filipino basketball talent.”
The tournament is open to players 18 years old and above. The elimination rounds are slated on Sept. 7-8 and Sept. 14-15.
The grand finals is set Sept. 21-22 feauring the top six teams in each division.
The finals will also serve as the FIBA 3x3 Lite Quest for the men’s division, part of a global competition structure that serves as gateway to international tournaments such as the World Tour Masters.
The men’s champion will represent the country in the Pocheon Challenger 2024 in South Korea. The winner in the women's side, on the other hand, will take home P20,000 cash prize since the FIBA Women’s Series 2024 is now on its final stage.
First and second runners up in each division will receive P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.
Simultaneous with the tournament is the holding of a 3x3 training camp for players 7-18 years old where basketball fundamentals such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and strategic gameplay will be taught by coach Mau, De Leon, Saldua, Salem, and TNT teammate Gryann Mendoza.
Present during the launch were Gizelle Leong and Franz Manalo of Okada, Jon Semana of automotive firm Jeep, and Jason Esguerra of SIP hydration.
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