Manila Hustle 3×3 returns for a second season this weekend, looking to show the strides women’s basketball has made thus far and show how much more the side of the sport could grow.
A total of 16 teams duke it out at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City beginning this Saturday, with Gilas Pilipinas Women shaping up as an early favorite.
“Last year was exciting. We had 12 teams, and there were a lot of points for improvement. This time, we said, [let’s get] bigger and better,” tournament director and Uratex owner Peachy Medina said in the kickoff presser at Microtel Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Tuesday.
“We want everybody to be aware of how women’s basketball has developed. We want everyone to see how it has progressed so that they can enjoy, and maybe, jump in later on as an advocate,” she went on.
Gilas program fixtures Camille Clarin, Mikka Cacho, Monique del Carmen and Tin Cayabyab comprise the Nationals, who will be one of the seven local teams shooting for the crown.
Other Gilas standouts are also leading their respective clubs. Cornerstone Afril Bernardino is set to star for Uratex Tibay, Kaye Pingol for Uratex Dream, while Jhaz Joson and Trina Guytingco suit up for Titans.
Discovery Perlas, Bluefire LPG and Army Altama are the other three local teams that will test the visiting clubs Dinoman Hansol and Unicle of Korea, Tokyo Dime, Owls.exe and Zoos Tokyo of Japan, Shoot It Dragons of Thailand, Jumpshot of Singapore, Royals Basketball of Australia and Shiv Nadar School of India.
National 3×3 program director Eric Altamirano and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy are also using the tournament to plot and prime for several international competitions lined up this year.
“We wanted to use this tournament to evaluate the players in the pool and this gives us a chance to identify who can play in Fiba (International Basketball Federation) Asia Cup 3×3,” said Altamirano. “If you go to tournaments of higher level, [the teams there] practice for 12 months straight. That’s the value that domestic tournaments like this give us,” said Dy.
“It’s really going to be high-level basketball that we’re going to see this weekend,” she added.
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