SIXTEEN teams came together and brought excitement and electrifying tension at SM City Fairview Atrium for a chance to land in their bracket of vivo’s 3×3 Basketball Challenge last July 21, 2024. These games set an exhilarating mood and hype for the first leg of the tournament.
The games were divided between the men and women’s divisions. Each division consisted of eight teams and further divided into two pools, which competed in a single round-robin. Each team showed dedication, sportsmanship and skill as the games advanced.
More than just winning a game, each team showed love for the sport and how they hoped to inspire fellow athletes to put themselves out there when given the opportunity.
Sixteen teams vie for the grand finals at the opening leg of vivo’s 3×3 Basketball Challenge at SM City Fairview. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
JP Pelayo, team captain of Wolfpack, described the experience as exciting and fun, especially since it was conducted inside a mall.
“We joined the 3×3 basketball tournament because we love basketball. We also support the brand, vivo,” Pelayo said in Filipino.
“We practice a lot before the games. We really prepared for this and allotted our free time to practicing for this tournament,” Pelayo added.
This year marked the second 3×3 basketball tournament of vivo. The first one took place in universities and campuses.
Vivo Events Head JP Lascano, said: “This year, we want to have something new. So, we opened [the tournament] for all and we [included the women’s division] as well. Since the popularity of basketball with women is increasing, we had the idea to hold the women’s division. It can bring a new form of excitement for the audience since it can start the way for 3×3 basketball for women locally.”
Stiffany Larrosa, the Lodi’s shooting guard, was thankful for the opportunity vivo gave to female basketball players, especially surrounding the stigma around female basketball players and male chauvinist culture of basketball in the Philippines. With the inclusion of women’s division in the tournament, it showed that women have been breaking the boundaries in sports.
The top 2 teams from the women’s division will advance to the grand finals at the SM Mall of Asia on August 16 and 17. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The top 2 teams from the men’s division will advance to the grand finals at the SM Mall of Asia on August 16 and 17. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Army Altama’s Power Forward Love Joy Sto. Domingo, 27, was one of the female players of the tournament. She expressed her gratitude to vivo for opening a 3×3 tournament for women. With diligence, her team was determined to reach the finals of the tournament.
“There are female players from younger generations, who will gain more knowledge on 3×3 basketball because of vivo. We can also see how they form their own 3×3 basketball teams, especially our fellow players in this tournament. This could enhance the game and encourage more players for it,” Sto. Domingo said.
Having formed their group 3 years ago, Sto. Domingo hoped to inspire a generation of women to get into sports.
She said: “Some of our team members are already in their 30s, there’s only two of us who are in their 20s. We hope to inspire the younger generation and show them how eager we are as athletes despite our age. For the people who are also in their 30s, we hope to inspire them to move and instill excitement that if we can do it, they can do it, too.”
According to Lascano, the idea for holding the tournament started with its partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
“It’s in line with the branding [of vivo] and what we want to show and express to our customers. People who love to play basketball and who are into sports could also choose vivo, and they can be updated with multiple events, freebies and other basketball related events. It’s also a form to connect with their passion for sports and basketball,” said Assistant Brand Marketing Manager Glenn Chiu.
With its sports mode feature, the vivo V30 pro can capture clear and crisp photos during an action-packed sports game. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
“We believe that if we connect with our users more and not just through the point-of-sale, the time that they purchase the phone, we continue to have more interactions with them and show them — similar to how we showcase our phones — that we are able to do more than what’s capable,” Chiu added.
As the perfect partner for sports enthusiasts, vivo’s camera included a sports mode, which could capture crisp and clear images that would depict the fast-paced and action-packed moments of sports. Chiu said this was one of the edges that vivo has compared to other smartphones.
A crowd of passersby and basketball enthusiasts gathered to watch the teams play while some even won raffle prizes of vivo merchandise such as tumblers, speakers and earbuds. Some also experienced showcasing their skills in basketball with mini games.
The National University Dance Co. also graced the stage with a halftime performance, energizing the players and the audience.
The next stops for the vivo 3×3 Basketball Challenge would be at SM Dasmariñas, Cavite on July 28 and Ayala Malls Feliz, Pasig City on August 11. Fans would also get the chance to vote online for their eliminated teams and would allow them to advance to the grand finals.
The top four teams that would make it in each leg would compete at the grand finals in the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia on August 16 and 17. A special guest from the NBA would also grace the event to meet some fans in the Philippines. Live streams would be available on vivo’s Facebook page.
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