SINGAPORE – Tonga (women) made history while the Philippines (men) delivered a clutch upset on Day 2 of the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2026, as the Qualifying Draw concluded in emphatic fashion.

They were joined by Malaysia (women) and Korea (men), who also secured their spots in the Main Draw after strong performances at The Kallang.

Tonga women make history

Tonga produced one of the defining moments of Day 2, advancing to the Main Draw for the first time in their history.

They opened with a 13-4 win over Maldives in a controlled, low-scoring contest before stepping up offensively in a 15-7 victory over Macau to seal qualification.

With disciplined defense and scoring, Tonga finished unbeaten and secured a landmark breakthrough for the program. They join Australia and Philippines in Women’s Pool D.

Philippines men deliver when it counts

The Philippines saved their best for last.

After opening Day 2 with a 21-16 win over Maldives, they faced a decisive showdown against Thailand, and they Filipinos delivered under pressure.

Led by Raphael Cu, the Philippines stormed to a strong start, building a 14-6 lead midway behind hot shooting. Thailand responded with a late push, cutting the deficit to 15-13 with under two minutes remaining.

But the Philippines held firm.

They closed out a 17-15 victory, surviving a final possession as Thailand missed a potential game-tying two-pointer. The result sealed their place in the Main Draw. The Philippines now advance to Men’s Pool A, where they will face Mongolia and Chinese Taipei.

Malaysia women in control

Malaysia also impressed, going 2-0 to top their Qualifying Draw group and advance.

Leading the charge was Foo Suet Ying, who scored 15 total points across two games, including a 9-point performance against India. She knocked down six two-pointers, providing consistent scoring throughout the day.

Malaysia held off India 16-13 before pulling away late in a 21-9 win over Turkmenistan.

They advance to Women’s Pool B, where they will face Mongolia and New Zealand.

Korea men impress

Korea were among the standout teams of the day, delivering two dominant wins to secure their place in the Main Draw.

Leading the way was Lee DongGeun, who was a high-flying scoring machine across two games.

Korea dismantled Vietnam 21-7 before following it up with a 21-11 win over Tonga, completing a perfect run. Korea join Japan and Singapore in Men’s Pool C.

What’s next

With the Qualifying Draw now complete, the final Main Draw spots have been secured.

Tonga (women), Malaysia (women), Philippines (men) and Korea (men) join the field as the tournament enters its next phase.

The Main Draw tips off on Day 3, with Asia and Oceania’s top seeds entering the competition.

With the field now complete and stakes rising, the race for the Asia Cup title begins in earnest in Singapore.

FIBA

ANTWERP (Belgium) – The FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026 brought Europe’s best 3×3 basketball national teams to the heart of Antwerp, but the competition became much more than what happened on the main court. Across three days, the European Championship arena on Groenplaats was sold out, while 60,000 people passed through the fan zone, turning the city centre into a celebration of 3×3 basketball, urban culture and community.

Millions Reached, Millions Engaged

The FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026 also delivered a record-breaking digital performance, generating 44.5 million video views, 58.3 million impressions and 2.1 million engagements across FIBA 3×3’s digital and social channels.

The figures marked new highs for the Europe Cup across all three key digital metrics, with impressions up more than 50% from 2025. The numbers further underlined the growing reach of 3×3 basketball, connecting fans with the action in Antwerp and extending the impact of the competition far beyond the arena.

Antwerp Takes 3×3 to the City

With the arena situated at Groenplaats in the historic centre of Antwerp, the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan brought the sport directly into the city. Between games, fans could watch freestyle basketball, professional breakdancing and rope-skipping performances, adding a distinctly urban feel to the competition.

The basketball experience also extended beyond the traditional game. A wheelchair basketball mini competition featured four teams at Sint-Jansvliet, with the winners, The Torro’s, earning the opportunity to take on the Wheelchair Belgian Lions on the Europe Cup main court.

Elsewhere in the city centre, the event connected with different communities through a corporate 3×3 basketball  tournament, the Antwerp 3×3 Streetleague and a shooting competition featuring the nine winners from the Crelan 3×3 Masters qualifiers.

That grassroots pathway had already brought 3×3 basketball to communities across Flanders in the lead-up to the Europe Cup. The Crelan 3×3 Masters featured nine qualifiers in nine Flanders cities before culminating in a final in Antwerp, involving more than 500 teams and 2,000 players. The winners of these competitions participated in the Quest, which took place at the iconic Central Station in Antwerp. The result was an event that connected elite international competition with the people and communities around it.

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 Cups tournaments throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official FIBA 3×3 website, where you can find the latest news, star players and everything you need to know. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3×3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.

Want to learn more about 3×3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3×3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3×3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.

FIBA

The Australian Boomerangs have confirmed the roster heading to the VIBF 3×3 World Cup to be hosted in Thailand from 1 – 5 November.

A substitution has also been made in the coaching ranks with Ryan Holloway unavailable for the upcoming 3×3 World Cup. Chloe Tugliach will come in to cover the Head Coach position and Development coach Adrian Carfora will operate as Assistant Coach.  

“We’ve had a strong preparation period, and I’m proud of where this group has landed heading into Thailand,” says Tugliach.

“We’ve got some great continuity from our gold medal-winning campaign, with athletes including 3×3 MVP Jack Innella and All-Star 5 recipient Dylan Cheyne returning to the group,”

“We’ve also got Pat Getson and TJ Leifi set to make their Boomerangs debuts, while Frazer Dawber and Brayden Cowell return to the Boomerangs to tackle the 3×3 world for the first time.” 

The Boomerangs are flying into the 3×3 World Cup meet with a rich vein of form. The Australian men’s II team are the current 5×5 and 3×3 World Champions and will aim to defend their title in November. 
 
“I’m extremely proud to be leading this group and really looking forward to seeing how they compete against the rest of the world,” added Tugliach.  
 
“We know the competition in Thailand will be strong, but this group set the bar high for ourselves last year, and we want to keep pushing it higher.” 
 
Follow the action from Thailand on the Boomerangs Facebook and Instagram accounts.  

ABOUT | AUS BOOMERANGS   
  
The Australian Boomerangs are the national men’s basketball team for players with an intellectual impairment (II), managed by Basketball Australia and Sport Inclusion Australia.

They are reigning elite champions, having won gold in the 5×5 competition and the 3×3 title at the 2025 Virtus World Championships, capping an undefeated 2025 campaign.  

 

 

Mizzou assistant coach Tavaras Hardy and recent-transfer CJ Gunn opened the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup with a split Wednesday in Wuhan, China.

Hardy is serving as the head coach for the United States, while Gunn, who recently enrolled at Missouri, is competing for the U.S. alongside Eric Dailey Jr., Alex Fudge and Mark Armstrong.

The United States opened Pool D play with a 21-14 victory over Argentina before suffering a 21-14 loss to the Republic of Korea.

Gunn made an immediate impact in the opening game against Argentina, scoring six points on 3-of-6 shooting from 2-point range. He added four rebounds and three blocks, finishing with a team-best 9.2 player value rating.

His three 2-point makes accounted for half of the United States’ six successful 2-point shots as the Americans pulled away for their first win of the tournament.

Gunn struggled to find the same rhythm against Korea, scoring three points while adding three rebounds and one block. He shot 1-for-2 on 1-point attempts and 1-for-8 from 2-point range as Korea reached 21 points before the United States could respond.

The split gives the United States a 1-1 record heading into its final two pool-play games Friday. The Americans will face China and Lithuania on Sept. 18 with a spot in the knockout stage on the line.

For Gunn, the tournament offers an early opportunity to compete internationally before making his way to Missouri. The former Indiana and DePaul guard is reportedly set to transfer to MU, but has not yet been added to the Tigers’ official roster.

For Hardy, the tournament provides another coaching opportunity on the international stage as he prepares for his first season on Dennis Gates’ staff.

The U.S. will close pool play early Friday morning with games against China and Lithuania. Those games will be live on the FIBA 3×3 YouTube.

WUHAN (China) — Lithuania men and the United States women are the champions of the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup 2026 after an action-packed final day at Hongshan Riverfront Park, with both teams overcoming tough challenges to claim the title in Wuhan.

The United States defeated Canada 15-10 in the Women’s Final to reclaim the U23 World Cup title, while Lithuania held off Latvia 19-18 to successfully defend their Men’s crown.

USA women return to the top

The United States navigated a demanding knockout run to claim their second FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup Women’s title. After defeating the Netherlands 21-17 in the Quarter-Finals, USA overcame Spain 21-16 in the Semi-Finals to set up a championship showdown with Canada.

The Final was a low-scoring battle from start to finish. The USA opened with a 4-1 lead before Canada fought back to level at 5-5. Canada then moved ahead 9-7, but the Americans responded to regain the lead at 10-9 before pulling away late.

The USA held a 12-9 advantage inside the last minute and closed out the contest from the free-throw line to secure a 15-10 victory and their second U23 World Cup title.

Victoria Elizabeth Mckinney capped a superb tournament with another strong performance in the Final, recording six points, six rebounds, eight highlights and three blocks.

Lithuania retain Men’s crown

Lithuania successfully defended their Men’s title after edging Latvia 19-18 in a thrilling Final. The defending champions established control early, moving ahead 4-1 before extending their advantage to 10-6. Latvia continued to fight, cutting the deficit to 13-11 midway through the contest, but Lithuania repeatedly found an answer.

Lithuania led 18-13 with less than three minutes remaining and still held a 19-15 advantage inside the last two minutes. Latvia refused to go away, though, cutting the gap to 19-17 and then 19-18 after Lithuania entered the foul penalty and Latvia converted one of two free throws.

With the championship hanging in the balance, Lithuania held on through the final seconds to repeat as U23 World Cup Men’s champions.

MVPs

USA’s Victoria Elizabeth Mckinney was rewarded with the Women’s MVP award. She finished with 30 total points, 12 drives and a 44.7 total player value.

Lithuania’s Paulius Velutis was named Men’s MVP. He finished with 47 total points, third-most in the tournament, while his 26 highlights ranked second.

Men’s Standings

1. Lithuania (LTU)
2. Latvia (LAT)
3. Australia (AUS)
4. Serbia (SRB)
5. France (FRA)
6. New Zealand (NZL)
7. Netherlands (NED)
8. United States (USA)
9. Poland (POL)
10. Germany (GER)
11. Argentina (ARG)
12. Spain (ESP)
13. Republic of Korea (KOR)
14. China (CHN)
15. Egypt (EGY)
16. Algeria (ALG)
17. Kazakhstan (KAZ)
18. Philippines (PHI)
19. Kenya (KEN)
20. Tonga (TGA)

Women’s Standings

1. United States (USA)
2. Canada (CAN)
3. Spain (ESP)
4. Latvia (LAT)
5. Australia (AUS)
6. France (FRA)
7. China (CHN)
8. Netherlands (NED)
9. Egypt (EGY)
10. Czechia (CZE)
11. Uganda (UGA)
12. Japan (JPN)
13. Italy (ITA)
14. Kenya (KEN)
15. Slovenia (SLO)
16. Poland (POL)
17. Chinese Taipei (TPE)
18. Madagascar (MAD)
19. Philippines (PHI)
20. Tonga (TGA)

The seventh edition of the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup delivered high-intensity action, dramatic finishes and new milestones in Wuhan. As the next generation of 3×3 basketball stars continues to make its mark on the global stage, Lithuania men and the USA women stand alone at the top of the U23 3×3 ladder.

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About FIBA 3×3

Exciting, urban and innovative, 3×3 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 professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions. 3×3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

FIBA