Mongolia to host FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2019

ULAANBAATAR (FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2019) - The Mongolian capital will host the most important FIBA 3x3 U18 competition in June 2019.

The Mongolian 3x3 Basketball Association will host the seventh edition of the competition, which became the first-ever 3x3 event organized by FIBA (in Rimini, Italy) back in 2011.

“We’re very proud to bring FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup to Mongolia which will be the first World Cup event in team sport history of our country” Mongolian 3x3Basketball Association President Myagmarjav Luvsandash said.

“3x3 has been a blessing for us. We’re a small country in terms of population and basketball success but with 3x3 we’ve become the best team in Asia. 3x3 has become a national sport for us and we’ll be honored to host the Olympians of tomorrow in our country.”

Mongolia’s men won the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2017 and struck silver this year. They reached the quarter-finals of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2018. Mongolia have also found success in youth categories (bronze at the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League and FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup in 2018).

“Mongolia is the best example that 3x3 offers a chance to new countries to shine in basketball,” FIBA 3x3 Managing Director Alex Sanchez said.

“It proves that with hard work, dedication and a vision, success is possible in 3x3. Mongolia have demonstrated they could host high quality international events at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup last year so we have no doubt the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2019 will be a tremendous success.”

The FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup returns in 2019 after a traditional one-year break the year of the Youth Olympic Games. The 3x3 tournament was one of the most popular events at the Youth Olympic Games: thousands and thousands of fans attended the finals in Buenos Aires on October 17, 2018.

All games at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2019 will be played on the same court with 20 men’s and 20 women’s teams competing in a team event and in three individual contests (men’s dunk contest, women’s skills contest and mixed shoot-out contest).

The selection of teams for the tournament is based on the FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking at the cut-off date of November 1, 2018. The Ranking includes sport and development criteria, allowing both the strongest teams on the field as well as the most active countries to participate in the event, which fulfills a key aim of 3x3 - diversity. At least thirty different countries and territories from all continents will be represented at the event.

USA’s women and Argentina's men won the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 7-17.

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ABOUT FIBA 3x3

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 the Founding Partner, Wilson the Global Sponsor and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.

FIBA 3x3 events are played on Sport Court floors with 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.