Players compete in the Shanghai Stop of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour in east China’s Shanghai Municipality, October 15, 2023. /FIBA
Players compete in the Shanghai Stop of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour in east China’s Shanghai Municipality, October 15, 2023. /FIBA
FIBA plans to have more 3×3 basketball events in China in 2024, the organization’s 3×3 Head of Events and Partnerships Ignacio Soriano told Xinhua News Agency on Monday.
“China is one of the countries having more activities in the professional level,” Soriano said. “We’re going to have three (more) World Tours by the end of this year. We had seven challengers, three women’s series. So basically, we have been hosting every single different event of the competition network.”
Five stops of this season’s FIBA 3×3 World Tour were scheduled to take place in China. The competitions in south China’s Macao Special Administrative Region and east China’s Shanghai Municipality were finished on July 9 and October 15 respectively. Three more masters will happen in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on October 21 and 22, Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on November 4 and 5, as well as south China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on November 25 and 26.
Wang Xinyu (R) of China penetrates in the 3×3 basketball women’s final against Mongolia at the 19th Asian Games in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, October 1, 2023. /CFP
Wang Xinyu (R) of China penetrates in the 3×3 basketball women’s final against Mongolia at the 19th Asian Games in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, October 1, 2023. /CFP
According to FIBA rules, the top-three teams on the federation’s world rankings table by November 1 will automatically qualify for the 3×3 basketball events at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. China are leading the women’s table and are third on the men’s table as of October 16.
“By October 16, the women’s team is the first in the world and men’s third in the world. If the ranking would be closed today, they would have been qualified directly to Olympic Games, both men’s and women’s. This proves that things are being done properly (in China),” Soriano told Xinhua.
“We have plans next year to have a super league within China. We have very ambitious plans to keep having the best events of the competition network in China. The plan is to have at least the same number of events next year. We are positive and expect to have more,” he added.
Zhao Jiaren (R) of China drives toward the rim in the 3×3 basketball men’s game against India at the 19th Asian Games in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, September 29, 2023. /CFP
Zhao Jiaren (R) of China drives toward the rim in the 3×3 basketball men’s game against India at the 19th Asian Games in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, September 29, 2023. /CFP
The men’s and the women’s 3×3 basketball became medal events for the Olympics from 2021 in Tokyo, where China secured the women’s bronze medal. China also launched its 3×3 league in August 2022.
“I think 3×3 is more accessible. Basically, it can be played everywhere. You don’t need a license, you don’t need to have the court with all the infrastructure,” Soriano said. “I would not compare it with 5×5. I think this is two different products. The training is different, the tactic is different, the strength that you need to have for one and the other is different.”
“We are already negotiating the World Cup in 2026. We have a specific support presentation plan to execute the events and to remember the experience that not only from sport, but from the sport plus entertainment,” he added.
