Basketball: Asia's top 3x3 teams to battle for glory at Marina Bay Sands next month
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Jeremiah Ong
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SINGAPORE - The region's best 3x3 basketball teams will be in action at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore next month and national cager Delvin Goh cannot wait to rub shoulders with them.
A record 53 sides (30 men's teams, 23 women's teams) will feature in the July 6-10 competition at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza, eclipsing the previous high of 40 teams at the last edition in Changsha, China, in 2019.
Australia, who won both the men's and women's competitions three years ago, will be aiming to retain their titles, but they can expect stiff competition from the likes of Mongolia and China for both genders. The winners will qualify for the Fiba 3x3 World Cup next year.
Besides Australia, hosts Singapore will also be among the teams who have guaranteed spots in the 12-team main draw for both the men's and women's competitions.
Goh, part of the Republic's 3x3 squad that finished sixth at last month's Hanoi SEA Games, is excited to be playing in front of the home crowd.
"It will be different, knowing that the fans will be backing you up regardless of how you play," said the 27-year-old. "The support and cheering will automatically get you pumped up a little bit more. Finally, we will be able to get to play in front of fans once again. It's been too long."
In preparation for the Asia Cup, Goh, Mah Jun Hao, Lim Jun Yuan and Tay Ding Loon have been honing their skills at the 3x3 Basketball Thai Super League in Ayutthaya, Thailand, earlier this month.
"This Thailand trip helped us see the things that we have to work on and the things that we're doing well at. We just have to keep drilling at it because 3x3 is all about drilling and playing and trying to get each other's chemistry," he said.
On his hopes for the Asia Cup, Goh said: "We want to try our best and fight all the way. 3x3 is anybody's game. You never know, there might be some upsets. We will just go there and play and we might do well. Our target is definitely to win games and get as high a placing as possible."
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