3×3 Basketball; FIBA suggests 16 Teams

KUALA LUMPUR (Central Board) – 3×3 Basketball was an important topic at FIBA’s Central Board meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this past weekend. There were a number of vital decisions and proposals made to help basketball achieve its full potential around the world.

The most important decision saw the Central Board announce it is going ahead in implementing a new format and calendar of men’s international competitions starting in 2017. You can find out more about the new format and calendar of competition by going here.

The Central Board also agreed on a proposal it will make to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with regards to improving the basketball program at the Olympics.

FIBA will request the IOC to make the following two changes for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
• Add four teams to the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament for a total of 16 teams to be played in two arenas. This is suggested in order to make the Olympic Basketball Tournament more competitive and shorter to reduce the pressure on players.
• Integrate 3×3 Basketball as a second discipline. The popularity of 3×3 Basketball has been booming around the world.

With regards to 3×3 Basketball, the Central Board looked back at the first full season of FIBA’s program – with the inaugural World Tour as well as the first-ever World Championships for Men and Women, and the second U18 World Championships – and deemed it to have been a great success. It also approved the qualification system for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be played in Nanjing, China.

Other points of interest from the weekend included:
• The Central Board confirmed the suspension of the Yemen Basketball Association from FIBA due to political and institutional matters affecting the National Federation. FIBA and FIBA Asia will work with all stakeholders to solve this matter.
• The Central Board was delighted to note that South Soudan is currently filing an application to officially become a FIBA member.
• The Central Board congratulated Scotland and England for coming together as British Basketball and encouraged Wales to reconsider its position and join the other two home nations for the good of basketball in the UK.
• The Central Board congratulated Mr. Hagop Kajirian for attending his first Central Board meeting as FIBA Asia Secretary-General and Mr. Kamil Nowak for his appointment as the new FIBA Europe Secretary-General. He will take office as a Central Board member at the next meeting due to take place in June 2013.
• A special gala dinner was held on Saturday evening as the FIBA Family honored FIBA Asia Secretary-General Emeritus Dato’ Yeoh Choo Hock. You can find out more about the gala and the tributes paid to Dato’ Yeoh by going here.