Zigui hosts FIBA 3x3 basketball competitions
2023-08-04 22:08:54
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
Two FIBA 3x3 basketball series began today in Zigui County, Yichang City, attracting over 1,500 hoops fans.
Twenty-four teams with 96 players from China, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Thailand will take part in the three-day competitions: the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series “Yichang Stop” and the Men’s FIBA 3X3 “Yichang Challenger”.
Points earned in this tournament will count towards qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Two FIBA 3x3 basketball series began today in Zigui County, Yichang City, attracting over 1,500 hoops fans.
Twenty-four teams with 96 players from China, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Thailand will take part in the three-day competitions: the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series “Yichang Stop” and the Men’s FIBA 3X3 “Yichang Challenger”.
Points earned in this tournament will count towards qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Photo by Wang Gang.
Zigui is the birthplace of Qu Yuan, one of the greatest poets in ancient China. This is the second international sports event held in Zigui after the International Canoe Federation Dragon Boat World Cup. Zigui is the only county-level city to host the event.
Zigui was chosen to host the tournament because of its beautiful scenery, rich history and culture, said Pu Jizhong, an official from the Chinese Basketball Association.
China vs. Malaysia at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Yichang Stop. Photo by Wang Gang.
Germany vs. Australia at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Yichang Stop. Photo by Wang Gang.
3x3 basketball, developed as a creative variation of basketball with a less formal structure – street basketball, is played on a half-court between two teams of three players each. Both teams attack and defend the same hoop, depending on who has possession of the ball. The winner is the team with the highest score at the end of the 10-minute period or the first team to reach 21 points.
First played internationally at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, the 3x3 format has developed its own city-based world tour under FIBA supervision. It debuted as an Olympic sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
