Philippines to skip 3x3 hoops in Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will no longer be sending a 3x3 basketball team to the Asian Games this August in Indonesia.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios on Thursday confirmed the country’s non-participation in the sport that will make its first ever appearance in the quadrennial games set August 18 to September 2.

Barrios, however, refused to expound on the issue.

The SBP couldn’t send the same team of Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle, Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario that represented the country in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup at the Philippines Arena early this month since only players aged 18 to 23 years old are allowed to compete in the Asiad.

There were talks a couple of months back of fielding in a squad headed by talented youngsters headed by AJ Edu and Kobe Paras, but it didn’t come to fruition.

The 18-year-old Edu, a long-limbed, England-based 6-goot-9 forward, was part of the team that helped Batang Gilas finish seventh — the best by an Asian squad — in the FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Cup last year.

For his part, Paras, 20, was in the Philippine squad that wound up with a 2-2 (win-loss) record in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Nantes, France. He also spearheaded the team that made it to the FIBA 3x3 U18 Worlds twice, even emerging as back-to-back slam dunk champions there.

The sport has been gaining a lot of popularity and will be an Olympic sport starting in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.

It will also debut in the Southeast Asian Games next year when the country hosts the biennial event.