Kaye Pingol grateful to play against elite teams in Korea 3x3 tourney

Filipino players Kaye Pingol, Tina Deacon, and Allana Lim served as reinforcements for Singaporean club Jumpshot for the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL WKBL 3x3 Triple Jam in Seoul last weekend.

While the team crashed out early after losing to Japanese club Zoos and Korean teams BNK Sum and Hana Oneq in Pool D, Pingol is grateful for the lessons and experience she and her fellow Filipinas gained in the Korean tourney.

“Teamwork and chemistry talaga is a big factor para sa isang team,” Uratex Dream's Pingol said. "Di basta-basta 'yung kalaban dito and kita mo na ibang iba ang laro ng isang team 'pag kilala ninyo yung isa't isa. Iba yung flow ng laro nila at parang ang gaan lang at ang sayang panoorin."

("Team work and chemistry is really a big factor for a team. The opponents here are no joke and you can see the level of play of a team is different when they know each other well. They have a different flow and it's so light and fun to watch.")

With all she learned in Korea, Pingol said these are things that she and her teammates will bring once they return to training in the country.

“Hopefully kami ni Ate Tina and the rest of the Dream Team is makuha 'yung ganoong klase ng high-level basketball. Sobrang sikat talaga 'yung women’s basketball dito sa Korea kaya makikita talaga 'yung high skill level nila individually and kung paano sila maglaro professionally. 'Yung mga natutunan namin from this tournament is sigurado kami na madadala namin pag-uwi," she said.

("Hopefully, Ate Tina and I and the rest of the Dream Team are able to reach this kind of high-level basketball. Women's basketball is really popular here in Korea so you can really see their high skill level individually and how they play professionally. What we learned from this tournament, we surely can bring with us home.")

Aside from the three imports, the Philippines was also represented in the tournament by the Titans, composed of Katrina Guytingco, Camille Claro, Snow Penaranda, and Hazelle Yam.

Pingol and the rest of the Uratex Dream Team will see action in September in the Red Bull Half Court World Finals in Belgrade, Serbia.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News