The winter period without major 3×3 basketball tournaments is coming to an end – from March 27 to 31, Singapore will host the first major competition of the Olympic season – the 3×3 Asia Cup. usport.com.ua announces these competitions.
Let’s start with the story. It will be the 7th edition of the 3×3 Asia Cup, the third time in a row that Singapore will host it, and the second time in a row that the competition will be held at the OCBC Square in the world-famous Singapore Sports Hub.
3×3 basketball: Great season is about to go
The defending champions are the men’s team of Mongolia and the women’s team of Australia. The Australian national team is the most successful national team in the history of the 3×3 Asian Cup – three victories each. Only three men’s national teams became winners of the Asian Cup (in addition to Australia and Mongolia, Qatar’s national team won the first competition in 2013). In addition to Australia, India, New Zealand, and China, she won the women’s competition once.
Who will play?
Any Asian team could apply for the 2024 Asian 3×3 Cup. As a result, 23 men’s and 20 women’s teams will play. Eight men’s and nine women’s teams received direct tickets to the main round, and the rest had to start in qualification for the right to play in the main round (only the winners of the qualifying groups would continue the competition).
In the main round, 12 teams will play, divided into four groups. The two best teams of each group will advance to the quarterfinals, where the champion and prize-winners will be determined according to the Olympic system for relegation (a match for third place will be held to determine the bronze medalist).
What to watch?
In the men’s competition, everyone is waiting for the confrontation between the teams of Australia and Mongolia. Last year, the Mongolian national team shocked Australia, which had previously become the champion three times in a row — Anand Ariunbold’s accurate long throw with a foul at 18:18 in the final became decisive.
Ukraine at the 2024 Olympic Games: football is the long-awaited debut
Ariunbold joined his country’s national team this year but came to Singapore with new partners.
Australia also has only one player left from last year’s squad – Todd Blanchfield, who scored 30 points last year and became one of the top scorers in the 3×3 Asian Cup.
The dark horses include the Chinese national team led by Yuanbo Zhu, who seriously grew from participation in the Masters last year, the Japanese national team, which became the only Asian national team in the 2023 World Cup playoffs, and New Zealand.
If you are looking for a sensation, we advise you to pay attention to the Tahiti national team, which received the penultimate 22nd seed but can surprise many. Its leader is the country’s rising star, Maui Rupinia, who graduated from an American basketball school and has returned home to raise the level of 5×5 and 3×3 basketball in the country.
Basketball in Ukraine Amidst the War
The main intrigue in the women’s side is whether someone can impose a fight on the Australian national team. Last year, the Aussies won the 3×3 Asian Cup in a dominant fashion, holding opponents to no more than 11 points. They also won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup.
This year, the same team came to Singapore – MVP of the Asian Cup 2023: Marena Whittle, Anneli Meili, Alex Wilson, and Lauren Mansfield. They aim to become the first women’s team to defend the title of the best team in Asia in 3×3 basketball.
At the group stage, the Australian women will meet the New Zealand national team, and it will be a repeat of last year’s final.
The Chinese team’s problem is that three of its four players have zero ratings from last year, and only Jianping Zhang, who played in two events last year, including helping the Chinese women won bronze at last year’s 3×3 Asian Cup. The Japanese national team is in a similar situation, where the rating is only held by Mana Kaneda, who, along with the Japanese team, came third at the Women’s Baodini Series.
Top 4 Healthy Breakfast Recipes from Sports4world
It should be interesting to watch the young national team of Mongolia, where 22-year-old Indra Ulzibat stands out. She successfully showcased herself last year on the stages of the Women’s Series.
From the lesser-known teams, we advise you to pay attention to the Philippine national team – team leader Camilla Clarin, due to her sniper qualities, can keep her team in the tournament for a long time.
Where to watch? The broadcast of all matches of the 2024 Asian Cup 3×3 will be available on the official website of FIBA 3×3 – https://www.youtube.com/@FIBA3x3/streams
