Cebu, Philippines – Last May 20, over 90 streetballer teams in Cebu went head-to-head to determine the Top 6 teams who will move on to the National Finals of Red Bull Half Court. The winner-takes-all event will crown the country’s representative for the World Finals of Red Bull Half Court in Serbia on September 2023.
The tournament featured an intense and high-paced series of basketball games from various teams around the region. The competitive atmosphere was felt throughout the whole event, which played a crucial role in the event’s success.
“Basketball is the number 1 sport in the Philippines, so 3×3 is another platform that people can really take part in. Taking part in this type of event really gives people the opportunity to play the sport that they love with their friends and peers. From the looks of it, they’re all enjoying themselves playing in the Red Bull Half Court,” said Coach Eric Altamirano, the Tournament Commissioner of Red Bull Half Court Philippines.
“We look forward to the qualifiers in Manila. I’m sure we’ll find a lot of really good teams, excellent teams, and they will be challenged. Everybody wants to grab a slot going to Serbia for the World Finals,” Coach Altamirano added.
Following a grueling series of matches, the following teams who are moving on to the National Finals are:
Men’s Division:
- Team SRP
- Team Triple R1
- Team EMILS1
- Team PJEM
Women’s Division:
- Team EVSU A
- Team GS CWBL
One notable athlete who dominated the tournament alongside her teammates was Team EVSU A’s Diana Rebecca Paton-og. The Ball Captain expressed the challenges they had to endure headed into the event and how they overcame all the odds to secure their spot as one of the region’s representatives.
“Before kami napunta dito, grabe yung preparation namin. ‘Di rin kami sure if makapunta kami dito kasi yung isang teammate namin, nagka-ankle sprain, so we had to replace her. So yung mindset dapat panalunin talaga namin ‘to kasi ang dami na pinagdaanan namin. Wala rin kaming budget, yung coach lang namin. Siya lang yung gumastos sa amin, so sabi ko para pala sa amin talaga ‘to” (Before we got here, our preparation was intense. We weren’t also sure because one of our teammates suffered a sprained ankle, so we had to replace her. That’s why our mindset is to win because of what we went through. We had no budget, and it was our coach who spent his money to get us here,) said Paton-og
“I have to do my best para ma-pay back namin yung mga tao behind this success, yung reason na nakapunta kami dito” (I have to do my best and give back to all the people behind this success, the reason why we’re here,)” she added.
Catch the next batch of teams who will compete against Team EVSU and the rest of the Cebu representatives at the National Finals of Red Bull Half Court during the Manila Qualifiers on May 27 at Buendia Food by The Court in Makati City.
For more information and updates regarding Red Bull Half Court, visit the official Red Bull website and the following social media pages (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok )
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