Phenom and Team Gilas Women’s Crowned Red Bull Reign Philippine Champions

The largest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament in the world, Red Bull Reign, comes back to the Philippines for the third year in a row! This year, the tournament will bring together different teams to fill in both Men's and Women's Division from, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to square off against each other for a chance to advance to the Global Finals at Toronto, Canada this September!

Two Philippine Champions emerged victorious at the Red Bull Reign Finals on Saturday, June 29th, 2019, at Kerry Sports Manila in Bonifacio Global City: Men’s Champions Phenom and Women’s Champions Team Gilas Women’s. Both teams advance to the Red Bull Reign Global Finals in Toronto, Canada, this August where they will represent the Philippines against 15 other nations from around the globe. 

Red Bull Reign is a high-endurance, offense-driven 3-on-3 street basketball tournament that brings the best ballers in the world together. Each game is contested under strict rules inspired by FIBA’s (International Basketball Federation) 3-on-3 rules:

• Teams consist of 3 players (+1 reserve) age 18 and above
• Games take place back-to-back on opposite halves of the court
• The first team to score 21 points or the most points in 10 minutes wins the match

In total, fourteen male teams and eight female teams competed this year.

Women’s Red Bull Reign Tournament

Red Bull Reign 2019 introduced a standalone tournament exclusively dedicated to women. Teams from countries including Russia, United Kingdom, and Canada held local tournaments to find representatives for the Global Finals.

“We train everyday. We’ve known each other for so long that our teamwork is top notch. And now, it’s a privilege to represent the Philippines in the World Finals in Toronto!” ~Jack Daniel Animam, Power Forward

TEAM GILAS

Team Gilas Women’s are the national women’s basketball team of the Philippines, with years of experience under their belt. They have a friendly rivalry with the Zamboanga Valientes, whom they triumphed over in the finals.

MEMBERS:

1. Janine Pontejos, 26
2. Jack Daniel Animam, 20
3. Claire Castro, 22
4. Afril Bernardino, 23

This year’s installment saw several local teams all vying for a spot in the Finals. The opening games took place in the morning and progressed over the course of the day, until only two teams remained: Zamboanga Valientes and Team Gilas Women’s, with the later taking the victory with a final score of 21 – 06.

Team Gilas Women’s is comprised of Jack Daniel Animam, Claire Castro, Janine Pontejos and Afril Bernardino. They are members of the Philippines’ national women’s basketball team, with years of experience under their belt.

Men’s Red Bull Reign Tournament

“Toronto, here we come! We’re excited to advance to the World Finals. We’re coming, Toronto!” ~Bong Pineda, Phenom Team Captain

This year’s men’s tournament began with the Last Chance Qualifier, which saw eight teams from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao compete head-to-head in back-to-back action. Teams Phenom and Philippine Navy, and team J Hoop from Cebu City, crushed the competition to advance to the Semi-Finals together with Team Basilian.

“I’m kinda speechless. We didn’t expect to win this, especially against our friends from Team Basilan. So we feel great! We wouldn’t have made it here without the help of our coaches or my awesome teammates.” ~Micole Sorela

TEAM PHENOM

Team Phenom is also the champions from Red Bull Reign 2018, with one of the 2018 players Bong Pineda now serving as their coach. They faced off against their friends in Team Basilan during the 2019 finals.

MEMBERS:

1. Micole Sorela, 28 (Captain; former player in the NCAA under San Beda)
2. Shaq Alanes, 25 (former player in the NCAA under Lyceum of the Philippines University)
3. Junjie Hallare, 25 (PBA D-League player under St. Clare College-Virtual Reality. Upset Cignal-Ateneo in the league last April)

Teams Phenom and Basilan both won their respective games to meet in a thrilling finals showdown. With amazing shooting and tenacity, the Phenom edged its competition to a final score of 22-to-19. As three-time Red Bull Reign Philippine Champions, the Phenom this year consisted of former NCAA and PBA D-League players Shaq Alanes, Junjie Hallare, and Micole Sorela.

For more information, please visit: win.gs/redbullreign2019

Reign 2019

Vince Hizon, Tournament Director of Red Bull Reign, shares his thoughts on this year’s tournament. “The fact that this is a qualifier for a world tournament – that makes it a big deal. Red Bull has done an exceptional job in all the sports they’ve participated in, really uplifting sports through these amazing opportunities. But in basketball, they know how passionate the Filipinos are regarding the game.”

As the 2019 Red Bull Reign Philippine Champions, Phenom and Team Gilas will represent the country at the Global Finals in Toronto, Canada, this coming August!

About Red Bull

Red Bull gives wings to people and ideas. As a functional beverage, we give wings to our athletes by vitalizing body and mind - supporting their dreams and aspirations through their passions like basketball.