FIBA 3x3: Terrence Romeo, Mac Tallo lead Manila MelMac in Manila Challenger

MANILA, September 18 ------ Terrence Romeo and Mac Tallo, two of the country's most prolific scorers, playing in one team? It's happening, and for good reason. Propped up by their desire to carry the country’s tricolors, Romeo and Tallo banner the Manila Melmac 3x3 squad seeing action in the FIBA 3x3 Manila Challenger set for Sept. 20 to 21 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque.

Despite the enormous pressure and challenge to deliver in front of an expected big Filipino hometown crowd, Romeo and his teammates are unfazed. “Kapag may expectation sa amin, that's a good sign. Ibig sabihin, ang fans sa mga player na iyon, alam nila ang capabilities na kaya nilang gawin. Ako, si Mac, si Henry, si Abdul, we know what we can do,” the flashy 5-foot-11 guard said. “Alam namin na kaya namin na mag-compete and at the same time, excited kasi ako, personally, ang tagal ko na hindi nakapaglaro ng 3x3 so excited ako na makatulong sa team natin ngayon and ang main goal is to compete.” “So, expectations are always there, pero ang main goal namin is mag-compete and manalo. So, kahit saan namin tingnan, lahat ito, going to the game is okay, masarap pakinggan pero iyong main focus namin is iyong game itself, kung ano iyong gagawin namin,” he added.

Romeo, who is making his return to the halfcourt game after a 10-year hiatus, and Tallo, the former No. 1 3x3 player in the Philippines, will be joined in the Chico Lanete-mentored quartet by Abdul Sawat and hulking 6-foot-10 big man Henry Iloka. The former Far Eastern University standout and UAAP MVP steered Manila West to a title triumph in the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Manila Masters.

Manila Melmac opens its campaign against China’s Chongming, a team spearheaded by Latvia's top 3x3 player Karlis Lasmanis, at 2:40 o’clock on Saturday before it battles Switzerland’s Lugano later in the night at 6:20 p.m. Tallo welcomed the addition of Romeo to the team with open arms. “Sobrang saya kasi kumbaga parang isang threat, isang Mac Tallo iyong dumating. Sobrang daming weapons na ng team namin. May pagkakatiwalaan ka. Mas na-pressure ako kasi gusto ko lumevel up sa laro ni Terrence or more than that. So, iyon ang challenge sa akin ngayon,” Tallo said in jest. “Sa tulong naman ni Terrence, tinutulungan niya ako mentally, physically, how to be prepared sa mga ganitong bagay. Natututo ako sa kanya para manalo.”

This early, Romeo expressed gratitude to the full support of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas led by its executive director Erika Dy. “Sobrang thankful ako kasi grabe iyong support nila, especially si ma’am ED (Erika Dy). Ang laking boost sa kumpiyansa namin na alam namin na nandiyan sila sa likod namin no matter what,” he said. “Pupunta kami sa game, malakas, mataas din ang kumpiyansa namin kasi maglalaro kami na ibibigay namin ang best namin and knowing na nandiyan iyong mga importanteng tao sa likod namin.”

Source: news.abs-cbn.com