San Juan, Puerto Rico to host FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019 Qualifier

The first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 4-5.

The event will be organized by the Puerto Rican basketball federation at a location to be confirmed at a later date.

“We’re delighted and honored to be the first federation to host a FIBA3x3 World Cup Qualifier”, Puerto Rican basketball federation president Yum Ramos said.

“We have been involved in 3x3 since Day One and wanted to put our athletes in the best conditions to have a chance to represent the country in the Olympics.”

The tournament will feature 8 teams from both genders and last for 2 days.

The participants are the hosts and the top 7 teams in the FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking (on November 1, 2018), which are not yet qualified for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. If a zone had a Zone Cup and the Zone Cup winners are not yet qualified for the World Cup, they automatically make it to the World Cup Qualifier and fewer teams qualify based on the ranking.

The top 3 teams in each gender will secure their ticket to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019, which will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands next June.

This World Cup Qualifier is the very first event qualifying - though indirectly - to the Olympic Games. The top 3 teams per gender at the World Cup 2019 will indeed be guaranteed a spot in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in May 2020.

“FIBA is excited to host a FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier for the first time and start the qualification process to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the hometown of the first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour winners,” FIBA 3x3 Managing Director Alex Sanchez said.

“It speaks volume about the increased interest for 3x3 in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We believe this event will be one of the highlights of the season next year, be the perfect build-up to promote the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019 one month later and elevate the overall level of the competition, with teams earning their ticket on the court.”

San Juan already played host to a FIBA 3x3 official competition back in 2013, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour San Juan Masters.

“Bringing the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019 Qualifier to the island shows San Juan can host elite world sporting events,” San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said.

“We’re thrilled to showcase our beautiful city to the world and be associated with this new, young, urban Olympic discipline, which will give the same exposure to both men and women in San Juan.”

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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 (www.fiba.basketball/3x3worldtour) and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups. On June 9, 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo 2020 Games. 

Nike is FIBA 3x3's Founding Partner and Tissot FIBA 3x3's Official Timekeeper.

FIBA 3x3 events are played on Sport Court's floors with Schelde backstops, protected by MagicSky's tents and benefit from Wilson's innovative and specially-made ball for 3x3. 

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.