The fourth annual FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championships will be played on Sport Court basketball courts this week from June 4th – 7th in front of the iconic Reformed Great Church on Kossuth Square in Debrecen, Hungary. Twenty-four men’s and 24 women’s teams from 36 countries will compete over four days in hopes of becoming the 3x3 U18 World Champions.
Fans, coaches and athletes are looking forward to an intense and thrilling U18 World Championships. As a sport, 3x3 basketball has gained momentum worldwide and now boasts 250 millions players. The growth is partly due to the sport’s simplicity, quick pace and the novel outdoor venues.
In an effort to keep 3x3’s unique outdoor venues while protecting the athletes and enhancing performance, FIBA selected Sport Court’s PowerGame as its official playing court. PowerGame is the safest outdoor court in the world. It features the lowest skin abrasion of any outdoor court surface and is made of the highest quality materials. The court is designed to absorb shock and reduce joint strain and fatigue to help athletes play longer and safer.
“As 3x3 is being taken more seriously, the requirements and expectations for the court are also being elevated. Players cannot be expected to give 100% and play fearlessly if the surface they are playing on is going to hurt them,” said Andrew Gettig, Vice President of Connor Sport Court International Sales. “Concrete and asphalt are great construction supplies, but don’t have the sporting characteristics needed for athletes. For safety and performance, for ball bounce and shock absorption, for the look and feel of the game, PowerGame is ideal for the sport.”
FIBA and Sport Court’s 3x3 journey officially began with a 3x3 test event on Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia at the 2008 Asian Beach Games and hopefully will culminate as an official basketball discipline at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“This is a really exciting time for the sport of 3x3. FIBA is working diligently to get this outdoor basketball discipline into the Olympics and new opportunities are opening up around the world for players, teams and promoters,” Andrew Gettig said.
Sport Court is excited about the future of 3x3 and looks forward to seeing the players and teams expand and develop.
Good luck to the teams and individual players who are competing this week on the official court of FIBA 3x3.
Follow the action on twitter with the #3x3U18 and by following @3x3planet and @sportcourt1974