JACK Danielle Animam hopes to do better in her latest shot at a FIBA 3x3 event.
The 19-year-old National University stalwart banners the Philippine women’s team set to compete in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup that kicks off Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Animam teams up with fellow NU stalwarts Afril Bernardino and Gemma Miranda, along with Janine Pontejos of Centro Escolar University as she tries to equal and yes, even surpass the performance of a similar women’s team which reached the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia U-18 girls 3x3 tournament in Bangkok, Thailand five years ago.
“Nalaglag kami sa quarterfinals, tinalo kami ng Thailand,” Animam recalled of her first 3x3 FIBA competition on Thursday during the press conference for the 3x3 World Cup held at Seda Hotel.
Bernardino was a teammate of hers in that team along with Alyanna Ong and Nicole Cancio, with Gerard Francisco as coach.
Now, the reigning UAAP MVP will have her coach at NU ,Pat Aquino, handling the team, with whom she played for in two previous editions of the FIBA Asia Women’s Championships.
“Sabi lang ni coach Pat laruin ninyo lang yung laro ninyo,” she said of the team’s preparation for the June 8 to 12 tournament. “We didn’t compete in international tournament, but we had a lot of tune-up games against men’s team.”
Animam is confident the Filipinas can do well even against world-class competition.
“Dito sa FIBA World Cup, I think kaya nating makipag sabayan sa physicality and everything,” she said.
All eyes will be on the women’s team as it kicks off the country’s campaign ahead of the highly touted men’s squad of Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle, Roger Pogoy, and Troy Rosario.
Animam and Co. take on the Netherlands at 2:50 p.m. on opening day and after a few hours of rest, return to the court to battle Germany in the main game at 6:40 p.m.
The Philippines is bracketed in Group D along with Hungary, Spain, Netherlands, and Germany.
A total of 20 games will be played in the tournament opener.