Mascariñas: "We are now back in the game"

The FIBA 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest will further prove Ronald Mascariñas' claim that the Philippines is "back" on the 3x3 map. Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASIG--Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president Ronald Mascariñas believes the resurgence of the Philippines in the global 3x3 play is now ongoing.

"Mr. [Alex] Sanchez, we are now back in the game and now we are here," Mascariñas said in a speech on Friday night during the welcome dinner for the first-ever FIBA 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Ballroom.

Earlier in the year, the Philippines is ranked 50th in the men's 3x3 rankings.

But after the successful staging of the Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup, the country soared six places to 44th overall as of posting.

"Last year, the SBP asked us to help promote 3x3 basketball as it is now an Olympic sport. We studied what we can do and we consulted to FIBA. To paraphrase a well-known statement, we came to a point were instead of asking what the country do for our company, we asked [ourselves], 'What can our business do for our country?'" Mascariñas shared the motivation about putting up the domestic league, which attracted a massive following online and offline.

Although there is still a long way to go for the Philippines to make the Olympics next year in Tokyo, Mascariñas believes that the recent developments, particularly Pasig earning a spot in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in Doha and the upcoming Super Quest, will spark a bigger surge for the country to make the Top 8, the cutoff for a country to make the Olympics.

"We now have one team that will play in the World Tour. After a successful first conference, we are honored to host the first-ever Super Quest," he continued. "I would like to thank Alex Sanchez and Fei Gao for trusting to host this tournament. We promise that we will have many more to come."

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