SINGAPORE — The FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 main draw officially kicked off on Friday, 8 July, with the occasion marked by an opening ceremony attended by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Edwin Tong.
The ceremony, held at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza, was an extravaganza that also featured members of the community, with the 29 participating nations walking in flanked by children from the ActiveSG Basketball Academy. A full house of over 550 spectators were treated to traditional music performances, as drummers and singers put on a show that enthralled their audience. Local cheerleaders and dancers from various education institutions further added to the festivities.
The FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 is the second time Singapore hosts an official FIBA 3×3 basketball competition. The first-ever FIBA 3×3 game was also played in Singapore, during the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Since then, the game has grown in popularity and has been included in the rosters of several major multi-sport events, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
FIBA Secretary-General Andreas Zagklis said: “We’re excited to see 3×3 back in Singapore, where it all began in 2010 at the Youth Olympic Games. We are happy to be back, twelve years later as an established Olympic discipline. We strongly believe that 3×3 feels itself at home in Singapore. FIBA decided in 2017 to operate a representative office in this young, dynamic, urban and international city. We are also glad to see this 3×3 event become part of our excellent partnership with the local sports authorities.”
Marcus Tan, Chief, Sport Development Group, Sport Singapore and FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 Organising Committee Chairman, said: “Organising the event boosts both tourism and our local event industry. As the pandemic restrictions ease, it is also timely to Bring Sport Back. Organising the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup also instils a sense of national pride in Singaporeans as the recommended destination choice. The basketball-loving community will get to catch top sporting action live and meet famed international players. It is also a great opportunity for Singapore to demonstrate its readiness and capability in hosting world-class sporting events, and at the same time, continue to improve and build up our own capability. More importantly, we are also able to work with local and international partners and stakeholders with the relevant expertise to develop more collaboration opportunities and grow the basketball ecosystem.
“Basketball is one of the top three sports in Singapore and 3×3 has always been a part of Singapore’s basketball DNA in the form of street basketball. The 3×3 format also debuted in Singapore as part of the Youth Olympic Game 2010 and was introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an official Olympic sport. The game has since evolved and with the hosting of the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, we will hope to ride on the momentum to accelerate the growth of 3×3 basketball, in areas such as coach development, 3×3 curriculum and galvanise the basketball community and industry partners to inspire and attract more people to pick up the sport.”
Teams in action today include hosts Singapore and defending champions Australia, who are delighted to be playing here and eager to retain their titles in the men’s and women’s competitions. Australia men’s head coach David Biwer said: “It’s exciting to be back on the 3×3 stage to defend our title here in Singapore, an elite city on a global scale. We are bringing a new-look team and these players will fight to the very last point to bring back gold to Australia.” Women’s coach Damon Lowery added: “My team is excited and honoured to defend our title (from the 2019 event). Even though it’s a brand new team, the heart, commitment and pride remain the same. The team is extremely versatile and our players complement one another well. Thank you to Singapore for hosting the event.”
The Singapore women’s team were in action on Friday, roared on by the audience as they faced Indonesia and Japan. The hosts lost 15-21 to Indonesia and 3-11 to Japan.
Singapore women’s player Chin Wan Qing said of the crowd’s vociferous cheers: “We could really feel the support. We don’t get the chance to play big events at home often, it’s always overseas and we’ve seen how loud the crowds can get. But today, we got a chance to see how much support we have at home and it’s very encouraging. This increases visibility too, and maybe the young kids in the audience can be inspired and say, ‘Hey, we can be like them too.’ It’s great and I hope we have more competitions like this.”
The Singapore men’s team open their campaign on Saturday (9 July), facing the Philippines followed by China. Singapore men’s player Lin Jun Yuan said: “Singapore hosting the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 is a great opportunity for the sport, as we haven’t hosted any major basketball events in such a long time. It’s wonderful, especially with the venue being at Marina Bay Sands. I hope Singaporeans come down and support us, and that they enjoy the games and learn more about 3×3 basketball.”
The FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 is ongoing at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza till 10 July. The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions will secure their places at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup in 2023.
FIBA Media Release
Photo Credit: FIBA
