Hosts Singapore to feature in first day of main draw action
SINGAPORE — The Philippines (men) and New Zealand (women) were spectacular as the main draw for the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022 was set after a thrilling Day Two.
The final seven places were determined with regional powers Philippines and New Zealand looking the real deal in sunny Singapore. The Philippines booked their spot and so did China, India and Korea.
New Zealand qualified into the women’s main draw along with Uzbekistan and Thailand, who knocked out fancied Philippines.
This is the first Asian continental championship since 2019 and is being played in front of the iconic Marina Bay Sands.
The Teams
After a tough Crelan FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2022, a new-look China were in devastating form as their tall line-up showcased superb athleticism to run rings around Tonga and Sri Lanka.
They shot the lights out with Zeyi Liu breathing fire as exciting 23-year-old twins Jiaren and Jiayi Zhao provided glimpses of their talent.
New Zealand’s women came out aggressive and it paid off with a 21-5 thrashing of Palestine and they continued the sizzling shooting against India to easily qualify into the main draw.
New Zealand’s game was highlighted by attacking the rim but also relentless hustle that left their opponents breathless in the hot outdoor conditions.
The Players
Mary Goulding powered New Zealand’s strong start with 11 points as the 6ft (1.82m) dynamo overpowered Palestine with strong drives to the rim but also showed her liking for the long ball.
The 25-year-old didn’t need to dominate against India in an even performance by New Zealand but she is positioned as a player to watch in the main draw.
India’s men team progressed mostly though star Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, who tallied a pair of 11s to inspire his team into the main draw.
In a must win game against Turkmenistan, the 30-year-old inspired a comeback with hot shooting from deep as India claimed a nail-biter to keep their Asia Cup dreams alive.
The Thriller
With their usual army of fans in the bleachers, the Philippines women were red hot in a huge victory before the time limit against Jordan.
Their loud fans were hoping for much the same in the do-or-die game against Thailand and the Philippines appeared headed to the main draw as they took control early.
But Thailand never gave up and shut down a suddenly cold-shooting Philippines. It came down to the dying stages and Thailand needed a hero trailing 11-10 with 30 seconds left.
Up stepped Rujiwan Bunsinprom, who put the cape on and made the tough layup in traffic. She then hit the free throw to break the deadlock as Thailand prevailed to break the hearts of the Philippines, whose fans were silent which was a rarity.
The Buzzer Beater
The Philippines men’s team came out aggressive in their opener but had met their match against Jordan. It came down to the wire at 19 apiece in front of a large group of Filipino fans, who were willing their heroes on.
Joseph Eriobu had the game in his hand as he played cat and mouse with defender Caden Alnajdawi outside the arc. But he never lost his composure as the lethal lefty drained the buzzer beater to transform Marina Bay into downtown Manila.
Day 3
The main draw of the Asia Cup starts on an action-packed day 3 with men’s and women’s Pool B and D play. Hosts Singapore take to the court for the first time – the women’s team, drawn in Pool C, open their campaign at 3.50pm against qualifiers Indonesia and return to the court at 7.30pm to face Japan. The Singapore men’s team play their first games of the tournament on Saturday, 9 July.
Singapore women’s captain Shermaine See said: “Having Singapore host the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup is really something that we’re looking forward to. At the 2015 SEA Games, we had the home crowd supporting us. It’s a great feeling, knowing that the crowd is behind us no matter what. We’re really proud to be able to play on home ground again and have people cheering us on. 3×3 is a very different game as compared to 5×5 – it’s more fast-paced and it’s anybody’s game. I hope that when younger basketballers come and watch these top players compete in real life, they will be inspired to train harder and raise the level of basketball in Singapore.”
Men’s
Pool A: Mongolia, India, Korea
Pool B: New Zealand, Qatar, Australia
Pool C: Singapore, Philippines, China
Pool D: Japan, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan
Women’s
Pool A: Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Thailand
Pool B: Japan, Indonesia, Singapore
Pool C: China, Australia, New Zealand
Pool D: Chinese Taipei, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka
FIBA Media Release
Photo credit: FIBA
