FIBA 3x3 basketball tour comes to a climax at KIU

PIC: Ezra Nunda (right) drives past Fahmy Ssebatindira in a 3x3 basketball tournament at Makerere in 2013. The players now feature for different teams in the league. (Credit: Michael Nsubuga)

BASKETBALL

FIBA 3x3 Basketball     

KAMPALA - The first edition of the FIBA 3x3 basketball tour comes to a climax with 16 teams, divided in the Eastern and Western conferences in action on Saturday at the KIU courts.

This is the second year that Uganda has been running this programme for the U-18 and the U-23 continuation programme.

The objective of the programme is to develop 3x3-basketball in the country, talent identification, 3x3 promotion and increase the federation ranking in the FIBA World Ranking.

Apart from players specialising in the 3x3 format of the game, the tournament is also aimed at helping national federations prepare a competitive team to qualify and successfully participate in future Olympic Games.

After country wide competitions, Jinja College, Majansi, Mbale SS, Nabumali SS, Rock High, Kira College Butiki, Jinja SS and Lugazi Mixed Secondary School will feature for the Eastern Conference while Nyakasura School, St. Leo's Kyegobe, Maryhill, Ntare School, St.Joseph's Vocational, Mbarara High School, Mpanga SS and Kyebambe Girls SS will represent the Western Conference.

FUBA has been running the Sprite 3x3 development programme in fifty schools accross the country with the support of Sprite.

This is the first time Uganda is running a 3x3 programme that spanned over 50 schools across the East, West and Central Uganda.

The final brings together the best players from all the schools that participated to compete both for the national trophy and a chance to form the talent pool to represent Uganda in the U18 National team competitions.

FIBA officially launched the 3x3 as second basketball discipline in 2010.

More than 150 national federations have competed in 3x3 World Championships, 3x3 Zone Championships or multi-sport games; the success of worldwide makes FIBA optimistic regarding inclusion in Olympic Games as of 2020.