The post-Chico Lanete era begins today for Manila Chooks.
The country’s second-ranked 3×3 team tries to prove its worth in the NEOM Super Quest, a qualifier for the FIBA 3×3 Hong Kong Masters and a part of the NEOM Beach Games 2022, on the sunny beaches of Neom, Saudi Arabia.
Making up Manila’s tall and young lineup are Dennis Santos, 6-foot-8 Ken Holmqvist, 6-foot-11 Nigerian import Henry Iloka, and Dave Ando.
“While we are still looking for new players for the crucial 2023 season, we still need to compete to close out the year,” Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas said. “This opportunity to compete in NEOM will help us gauge who will be our foundational blocks for our teams next year.”
Added Lanete, the quartet’s head trainer: “Magandang test ito para sa Manila kung uubra ba ang big line-up namin against iyong top teams in the world. Very crucial iyong November 2022 to November 2023 kasi hindi lang competiting ang habol natin, kailangan na rin nating manalo. For the rest of the season, we will look to mix and match mga lineups natin.”
Manila Chooks!, seeded ninth in the tourney that has $10,000 cash prize to the champion as well and $5,000 for the runner-up, is bracketed in Pool A along with world No. 3 Riga of Latvia and No. 19 Warsaw of Poland.
Manila Chooks! takes on the Latvians led by Nauris Miezis, Karlis Lasmanis, Edgars Krumins, and Agnis ÄŒavars at 8:45 p.m.
The Filipino 3×3 cagers then square off with the Polish team of Przemyslaw Zamojski, Szymon Rduch, Åukasz Diduszko, and Mateusz Bierwagen two hours later.
Also competing in the slam dunk competition is Pinoy high-flyer David Carlos.
Manila is out to avenge its Cebu counterparts’ failed mission in the FIBA 3×3 Tainan City Challenger last Oct. 22.
Mac Tallo, Brandon Ramirez, Vince Tolentino, and Cameroonian reinforcement Mike Nzeusseu wound up ninth in a 16-team field after falling to world No. 1 Ub 14-22 and Utsunomiya 10-21.
“Gutom ang mga bata manalo,” Lanete said. “Kahit kaming mga coaches talagang gusto namin makabawi to close out the season.”
