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26 - 30
May 2021
23/06/2020
News

Austria to host FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in May 2021

GRAZ (Austria) – The FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament will take place in Graz, Austria on May 26-30, 2021. Built around a green and sustainable concept, the event will be the first-ever FIBA 3x3 official competition in Austria.

The announcement was made on Olympic Day at a press conference in Graz, exceptionally attended by Austria Vice-Chancellor and Sports Minister Werner Kogler.

 “The focus of our Government in sports is the promotion of trending and green sporting event,” Kogler said. “The FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament combines modernity and sustainability in a unique way.”

The sustainability concept was developed based on waste management, energy and water use, mobility and climate protection, regional products and social responsibility.

Representing FIBA, Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak underlined that Austria set the bar high with their first FIBA 3x3 official competition.

"FIBA is delighted that the road to the Olympics will stop in Graz's iconic Hauptplatz and that the Austrian authorities have vowed to make it the greenest, most sustainable event to date, which is entirely in line with our concept of reduced ecological footprint of 3x3,” Novak added.

Forty teams (20 in each gender) coming from 36 different countries will compete at the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifier for the 6 tickets (3 per gender) to Tokyo. Austria made headlines in 3x3 in 2019 with the men finishing 6th at the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup and the women winning silver at the FISU University 3x3 World Cup.

"We are very happy to be able to bring this great tournament to Austria", Basketball Austria President Gerald Martens rejoiced. “It gives our successful national teams a historic chance to make it to the Olympics. If one of them pulls it off and earns a ticket, it would be the first “red-white-red” [Austrian] team sport team to qualify for the Olympics since the handball women’s national team in 2000.”

The local organizers will build a temporary outdoor venue of a 2,000-seat capacity for the occasion and are already looking forward to the event.

“Fast, exciting, diverse, entertaining, inspiring: this is 3x3 basketball. The FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifier will be the highlight of the Graz sports year in 2021, said Graz Mayor Siegfried Nagl.

Though they are new to 3x3, Austria in general and the Styria Province in particular have established an expertise in hosting high-level sporting events.

 “The list of major international sporting events in our state is very long,” Provincial Councillor Drexler said. “This year alone the Handball and Figure Skating European Championships, the Night Slalom Ski World Cup, the Davis Cup, two Moto GP races and two Formula 1 Grand Prix. We are delighted that the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifier 2021 can be held on Styrian soil. It goes beyond the advertising, economic and touristic values. It also shows the passion and enthusiasm that are unique in live sporting events.”

A total of 16 teams (8 in each gender) will compete at the Tokyo Olympics:

- 8 of them (4 in each gender) have already qualified on November 1, 2019 based on the FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking.
- 6 additional tickets (3 in each gender) will be delivered at the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz.
- The last 2 tickets (1 in each gender) will be earned at the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Budapest, Hungary at a date to be announced.

For more information about 3x3 at the Tokyo Olympics, go to http://fiba3x3.basketball/olympics

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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 and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups.

On 9 June 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Wilson is the Global Ball and Apparel Partner and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.

FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system.

For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on FacebookInstagramSina Weibo, Tencent, TwitterYouku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball.