19 Apr 2016
MIES, Switzerland (3x3) - FIBA on Tuesday unveiled the full schedule for the fifth edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, which will start in Mexico City on 16-17 July and culminate with the World Tour Final in Abu Dhabi on 27-28 October.
Launched in 2012 the yearly World Tour is the flagship event of 3x3 basketball. It sees teams representing cities from around the world qualify for several 12-team Masters events and a Final via a worldwide network of qualifying tournaments. Any team of four players is eligible to participate.
The number of events on the World Tour has increased from seven to eight this season.
The best 3x3 players in the world return to the streets of Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Olympic capital Lausanne, Mexico City, Prague and Rio de Janeiro.
The event comes back to Japan - this time in Utsunomiya - and makes its first appearance in Hungary, going to Debrecen, which successfully hosted the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championships last year.
The winners of each stage and the best teams in the overall World Tour standings after the last Masters qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final, which will be held in Abu Dhabi for the second year in a row.
2016 FIBA 3x3 World Tour calendar
16-17 July - Mexico City, Mexico
30-31 July – Utsunomiya, Japan
6-7 August - Prague, Czech Republic
26-27 August - Lausanne, Switzerland
7-8 September - Debrecen, Hungary
16-17 September - Beijing, China
24-25 September - Mexico City, Mexico - World Tour Americas Masters
27-28 October - Abu Dhabi, UAE - World Tour Final
Novi Sad Al Wahda (UAE) won the last two editions of the World Tour, in Tokyo on 11-12 October 2014 and Abu Dhabi on 15-16 October 2015. Their top scorer Dusan Domovic Bulut is the current leader of the FIBA 3x3 Individual World Ranking.
A Dunk Contest and a Shoot-out Contest will take place at each FIBA 3x3 World Tour event.
The overall prize money on offer at the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Tour and its qualifiers will top USD $300,000 this year.
An initial list of the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Qualifiers will be announced by the end of the month.
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ABOUT FIBA 3x3
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefitted from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour (www.fiba.basketball/3x3worldtour) and national-team world championships.
Nike is FIBA 3x3's Founding Partner.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Sport Court's floors with Schelde backstops and benefit from Wilson's innovative and specially-made ball for 3x3.
For further information about 3x3, visit fiba.com/3x3, FIBA3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.com.