THE Zamboanga Valientes MLV are set to compete in the 3x3 Christmas Hustle basketball tournament which starts on Saturday in Canberra, Australia.
Team manager Junnie Navarro is accompanying the squad composed of homegrown talents Chris Concepcion, Eric Miraflores, and Adam Kempton as well as Sudanese-Australian Duom Dawam.
Navarro, son of team owner and philanthropist Cory Navarro, said he is excited for the players as they will be getting international exposure in the tournament.
Navarro, whose team is also supported by MLV Group CEO Mike Venezuela, said the players are beaming with pride to represent Zamboanga in the 3x3 competition.
“Some of our players already have vast experience in college and amateur basketball back home. Now, we want them to get exposure to these kinds of tournaments. They are proud to represent Zamboanga in this tournament,” said Navarro.
Concepcion is a former Mythical Five winner for St. Francis of Assisi College in the NCRAA who is also a pioneer member of the Valientes squad, having played during the Liga Pilipinas when they were called the Amores.
Miraflores, meanwhile, also saw action for the Valientes and even played in the Big V, one of the semi-professional basketball leagues in Australia, while Kempton is a high school player.
Even Dawam is looking forward to representing Zamboanga, having been recruited by Navarro for the Valientes squad after he was once considered to become part of the Ateneo de Manila varsity team.
The Valientes have been regularly competing in 3x3 and 5-on-5 tournaments with their Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 and National Basketball League (NBL) appearances over the past few years.
“Fielding this team in Australia will only widen our base of players that we can tap in future local and international competitions,” said Navarro.
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