Hoops and dunks at Ashgabat 2017

Ashgabat, June 19, 2017: With less than 100 days to go until action commences at the Ashgabat 2017 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, fans are already getting excited about one of the Games’ most exhilarating sports, 3×3 Basketball.

Also known as street basketball, 3×3 Basketball is one of the most popular urban team sports across the globe. Although played around the world for many years, 3×3 Basketball only made its international debut in 2007 in Macau, when basketball’s world governing body, FIBA, elected to introduce it as a demonstration sport – at the Asian Indoor Games!

Iran’s men were the first team to be crowned Asian Indoor Games champions after defeating China 33-28 in the inaugural men’s final. Two years later in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, the sport made its official Asian Indoor Games debut. Iran retained its title in the men’s competition, while Thailand’s women registered four victories in as many matches in a round-robin tournament to claim the prestigious first-ever women’s title.

The successful outcome in Macau led FIBA to further boost its promotional campaign by introducing 3×3 Basketball at the 2009 Asian Youth Games in Singapore, and then real breakthrough came the following year at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in the same city.

Due to the unprecedented success 3×3 Basketball enjoyed in Singapore, the sport has been part of major international competitions ever since, while many predict it won’t take long to see it named as a summer Olympic sport.

At Ashgabat 2017, the 2,000-seater outdoor Basketball Arena is expected to host a huge number of fans anticipating the excitement that 3X3 Basketball offers with its frenetic pace (teams have to shoot within a 12-second time limit). The game ends after ten minutes of play or the moment the first team scores 21 points.

Each participating country may enter only one team to the competition, consisting of a maximum four athletes, in each of the men’s and women’s Ashgabat 2017 3×3 Basketball events. A dozen men’s and twelve women’s teams are expected to feature in the main draw.

Seven days of action await 3X3 Basketball fans in Ashgabat. Competition commences with the first jump ball on September 18 and finishes on September 24. Each day’s session will begin at 17:00 and will last for five and a half hours. Laurel

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Posted

in

by

Comments

Leave a Reply