Manila TM bows out in Doha

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Chooks TM put in their best effort but lost its two games in Pool A to top seed Liman and Lusail yesterday and crashed out of the FIBA 3x3 Doha World Tour Masters at the Al Gharafa Sports Complex in Doha, Qatar.

Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike and Santi Santillan succumbed to the taller, more experienced Liman squad of  Mihailo Vasic, Stefan Kojic, Stefan Stojacic and Aleksandar Ratkov in a 15-22 defeat.

Needing a win to advance, the Filipinos gave it their everything but Luseil’s Souley Ndour, Kostas Vasileiadis, Ousseynou Mbow and Hamza Radi leaned on their size advantage and eked out a 19-14 triumph.

Manila had its chances against Luseil but Pasaol, the country’s second highest FIBA-ranked player next to Munzon, hurt his right shin after he landed badly after he blocked the 6-foot-10 Ndour.

The Philippine squad was never the same from there.

Luseil thus clinched the second and last Pool A berth despite its 9-21 setback to Liman hours before while sending the Filipinos back home.