Kobe Paras to lead Philippines’ Olympic 3x3 quest

MANILA, Philippines — Kobe Paras is set to embrace a bigger role in basketball.

Donning the country’s tricolor in many iterations of the FIBA 3x3 in the past, the second-generation cager will be helming the specialized format’s national basketball program as it targets the Olympiad two years from now.

"Kobe will be the face of 3x3 basketball. So the campaign will be headed by Kobe. Tapos hahanap tayo ng mga makakasama ni Kobe,” Ronald Macariñas, the backer of the program, said.

“The start of the campaign is today,” he noted on Tuesday during a presser in Ortigas. “As we speak, we have already scheduled a tryout and tournament from all over the country.”

"This has been a dream for all of us. Throughout the years, I’ve been saying that 3x3 basketball is where we can strive,” Paras said.

The Philippines made remarkable strides despite of having a hastily-formed crew in the World Cup held here last June.

Seeded 19th in a pool of 20 competitors, the Filipinos stunned the 6th-ranked Brazilians, gave perennial contenders Mongolians a good scare, and then made the Canadians labor for their win before toppling the No. 3 Russians.

“If Mongolia is up there, we cannot believe that we can do it,” Samahang  Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ Sonny Barrios chimed in.

Eight teams will be competing at the 2020 Olympics set in Tokyo, Japan. Four teams will qualify based on the Nov. 2019 world ranking list, with the Japanese already assured of a slot as hosts. Three more
spots will be disputed in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and then the final ticket will be dangled in the 2020 FIBA Universality-driven Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The SBP is has16 regional offices from the country that reportedly will help organize the nationwide tournament that will serve as tryouts.

"This is a good opportunity for everybody. Yung tryouts na ito, even yung out-of-school youth in the barangay-level, puwede sila mag-try out. Itong programa na ito will bring out the best among our dreamers,” Barrios noted.

"[This] is a huge step for us. We’ve been wanting to have someone to back us here in 3x3,” the 20-year-old UP Fighting Maroons commit said in closing.