After omitting their core to the PBA Rookie Draft, Manila Chooks will bank on its speed and shooting on facing bigger foes against Austria’s Graz, who they will deal off on Friday at 7:30 pm (Manila time), and home team Doha, who they will battle with on 8:05 pm. 

With new players on the field, the squad will feature 5v5 veteran Chico Lanete, scorer Mac Tallo, post-creator Zachy Huang, and big man Dennis Santos that will undergo a tough task to clinch a superb finish in the incoming league.

“Since we lack size since our big men have been affected by the quarantine measures here, we will be utilizing our speed and shooting,” said Lanete.

“We are heading into Doha with an underdog mindset,” he added.

Graz is highlighted with Austria’s no. 4-ranked player 6-foot-6 Matthias Linortner and no. 11 Moritz Lanegger, who is 6-foot-2 alongside 6-foot-9 Fabricio Vay and 6-foot-7 Filip Krämer.

Qatar’s no. 14 player 6-foot-5 Babacar Dieng spearheads the home team along with no. 11 Faisal Abuissa, 6-foot-7 Abdelrahman Yehia Abdelhaleem, and 6-foot-10 Souley Ndour.

The top team will advance to the league proper and will vie with USA’s NY Harlem and Princeton in Pool D which are ranked No. 4 and 5, respectively. 

The FIBA 3X3 World Tour Doha Masters is a maximum-level (level 11) event in which the emerging champion will take home US$ 40,000.