National women’s team mainstay Jack Animam returns from a left anterior cruciate ligament tear injury and plays her first competitive game in the Manila Hustle 3×3 Women’s International Invitational Tournament set from 4 to 5 February at Robinsons Place Magnolia in New Manila, Quezon City.
“I’m very excited to get back since this will be my first tournament after suffering from injury,” Animam said exactly a year since she underwent knee surgery.
“I’m just eager to go back and play again.”
Animam is going to play for the Lady Macbeth Riots alongside fellow Gilas members Janine Pontejos, Trina Guytingco, Kacey dela Rosa, and Khate Castillo. They’ve been training together since November last year.
The Riots will be one among the four countries and 13 teams competing in the tournament put up by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
South Korea will field two teams — 1Eyehansol and G2L2 — while Japan will have Owls.exe Kujukuri and ZOOS Tokyo.
Thailand is bringing in Shoot It Dragons while the Philippines will have five other teams — Uratex Dream, Uratex Tibay, Discovery Perlas, Angelis Resort and Army Altama.
The Manila Hustle 3×3 Women’s International Invitational Tournament will be the first of the many projects the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has lined up for the year.
Next month, the SBP and the local organizing committee of the FIBA World Cup will be bracing for a dry run of sorts in hosting the biggest basketball on earth with the staging of the sixth and final leg of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers to be held at the Philippine Arena from 23 to 27 February.
