Two former PBA players will be part of a new-look Manila Chooks TM squad slated to compete in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Doha Masters on March 26 to 27.
Chico Lanete and Mac Tallo are joined by Zach Huang and Dennis Santos as Manila looks to make a good impression in the two-day tournament set in the Qatari capital.
Manila goes into the tournament with fresh faces after Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan and Troy Rike left for the PBA after the Doha Masters in late-November.
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Coach Aldin Ayo will be tasked to steer the team that needs to get past the qualifying draw which includes host Doha and Austria’s Graz in order to compete in the main draw.
Seeded in the Doha Masters are Serbia’s Liman and Novi Sad, Latvia’s Riga, Serbia’s Ub, NY Harlem and Princeton of the United States, The Netherlands’ Amsterdam Talent&Pro, Slovenia’s Piran, Lithuania’s Sakiai Gulbele, Canada’s Edmonton and Qatar’s Lusail.
“We are starting but I believe that we are starting on the right foot. We established a new culture and new approach. Hopefully, the players will respond,” said Ayo.
The Manila contingent underwent RT-PCR tests recently and is currently in home quarantine as part of health protocols before their departure on Saturday, March 20.
Of the four, the 41-year-old Lanete already has 3x3 experience after playing for Butuan in last year’s President’s Cup bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
The rest are making their 3x3 debuts under the Chooks banner, with Huang reuniting with Ayo, his former coach at University of Santo Tomas.