The event will reignite the country’s first professional 3×3 league after a year of hiatus due to the prevailing conditions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“We opened up the one-day Invitational tournament that we have to imports for the sole reason that these former student-athletes have not played for such a long time and have been stranded in our country since the pandemic,” Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas shared.

“This will also help our local players in adjusting to the global FIBA 3×3 game as there are a lot of skilled 6-foot-6 and above players in those competitions,” he added.

Mike Nzeusseu and Chibueze Ikeh lead seven imports who will play for six teams in the special one-day invitational tournament powered by TM.

Bannering the foreign players is HeiHei Manila’s two-time NCAA All-Defensive team member Nzeusseu which will join Chico Lanete, Zach Huang, and Mac Tallo.

6-foot-7 Cameroonian Ikeh will also make a return alongside Ronjay Buenafe, Paul Sanga, and Donald Gumaru for the Essen Immunoboost Sarangani.

Frederick Elombi, also a 6-foot-7 Cameroonian athlete, will be playing alongside fellow Cameroonian Landry Sanjo, Monbert Arong, and Ralph Dinolan in ARQ Builders-Cebu.

Other imports who are seeing action are Cameroonian Hamadou Laminou (BRT Sumisip-Basilan), Nigerian Henry Iloka (RBR Cabiao Nueva Ecija), and Eugene Toba (Pasig Kingpins).

A total of twelve clubs have accepted the challenge, namely HeiHei Manila, Pacquiao Coffee Bacolod, BRT Sumisip Basilan, Homegrown Grains Bocaue, AMACOR Mandaluyong, RBR Cabiao Nueva Ecija, Pasig Kingpins, Adam Esli Pasay, MNL Kingpin Quezon City, Essen Immunoboost Sarangani, Zamboanga Valientes, and ARQ Builders Cebu.

The champion team will bag a PHP100,000 championship prize, while the second and third place finishers will get P50,000 and P20,000, respectively.

The one-day tournament will be broadcasted on Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas’ Facebook page and on FIBA 3×3’s Youtube channel.