Inaugural FIBA Invitational 3x3 Youth World Championship Set For September

GENEVA, Switzerland • July 8, 2011

FIBA has announced it will hold its first-ever Invitational 3x3 Youth World Championship in September 2011.

The decision was made after seeing the impressive progress that has been made over the past year in developing the format of the game, starting at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and culminating in the current Test Season that is now taking place.

With its national basketball federation celebrating its 90th anniversary, Italy will host the Invitational 3x3 Youth World Championship in the city of Rimini.

The competition will take place Sept. 9-11 for girls and boys simultaneously.

A total of 36 boys teams and 24 girls teams of players aged 18 and under will face off in the sunny Italian seaside resort of Rimini from Sept. 9-11, with games being played on eight covered and specially designed 3x3 courts - including one high capacity center court.

Attending teams include many traditional basketball forces of the likes of the USA, Spain, Greece, Serbia, China, Australia, Angola and Puerto Rico, as well countries less renowned for their basketball such as Singapore, South Africa, Syria and even the small pacific island of Guam.

While showcasing top level basketball, the event will have a young and fresh atmosphere - reflecting both the discipline and the location - with top DJs playing music during the games, numerous skills challenges, as well as other entertainment and side activities.

The FIBA Invitational 3x3 Youth World Championship will be the second international 3x3 tournament, following last year's success of the discipline at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

FIBA intends on subsequently holding this event annually. In years to come, the selection process to determine the participating teams will be done through dedicated qualifiers as well as the 3x3 Individual Ranking.

Boys participating teams include: Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Guam, India, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, Nepal, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, South Africa, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela.

Girls participating teams include: Angola, Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Germany, Greece, Guam, India, Italy, Japan, Netherland, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela.

For more information about 3x3 Basketball, please visit fiba.com/3x3.