6 Nov 2019
BUDAPEST (Hungary) – FIBA announced today that the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament (UOQT) will take place in Budapest, Hungary on April 24-26, 2020.
The event will be organized by the Hungarian Basketball Federation (MKOSZ) and award the last ticket per gender to the 3x3 tournament of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“We’re excited to host the first-ever FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament,” MKOSZ Secretary General Péter Bodnár said. “We have a long tradition of hosting premium events and have invested a lot in the development of 3x3, which offers a unique path for countries like us to get to the Olympics.”
Hungary played host to multiple FIBA 3x3 events since 2015, including the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup, the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup and the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in Debrecen. This year, the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League Final was played at the first-ever World Urban Games in Budapest and was regarded as an astonishing success.
“The local organisers’ track record in staging major international events was a key factor in our decision to bring the UOQT to Budapest,” FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said. “The Hungarian Basketball Federation, Iván Bodrogváry as well as the Major International Sport Events Team, headed by State Secretary Balázs Fürjes, have done a remarkable job of growing 3x3 and it’s no coincidence that Péter Bodnár was appointed by the FIBA Central Board as member of the FIBA 3x3 Commission a few months ago.”
“We’re looking forward to this event, which reflects one of 3x3’s mission to bring basketball to new countries, who do not necessarily have a rich basketball history.”
Only countries who have not been represented in the Olympic Basketball Tournaments (men or women) in the past 2 editions of the Olympic Games (London and Rio) were eligible. The highest-ranked countries who have not yet qualified to the Olympics will go to Hungary. All 6 teams in both genders (except Hungary’s men) will also compete at the OQT in India in March. In case one or several of them qualify to the Olympics during that first OQT, a wait list has been determined with the 3 potential replacements in both genders.
For more information about 3x3 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, go to https://fiba3x3.com/olympics
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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 benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups.
On 9 June 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nike is the Founding Partner, Wilson the Global Sponsor and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system.
For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.com.
For more information about 3x3 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, go to https://fiba3x3.com/olympics
