3x3 teams for Olympics qualifiers on March 12

BENGALURU: The national men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball teams for the Olympic qualifying tournament, scheduled to take place at Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru, is expected to be announced on March 12. 

Twenty teams in both categories are divided into four different groups for the league phase, which will be followed by knockouts.

The top three teams (men and women) at the end of the competition will qualify for Tokyo, where the shorter format is making its Olympic debut. India, who have qualified for the competition as hosts, have been pooled alongside the Netherlands, Latvia, Canada and Croatia in Pool D for the men’s competition.

The India women’s team are also in Pool D, which includes Spain, Chinese Taipei, Switzerland and Italy. 

The skill set required for both 5x5 and the 3x3 formats is quite different, with the latter played in one half of the court for just ten minutes. A team comprises of three players and one substitute. 

“Yes, the format of 3x3 is faster.....we are also considering the players from the 5x5 format for selection,” said Basketball Federation of India secretary-general Chander Mukhi Sharma.