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From top basketball competition to fringe events for fans: How Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup has something for everyone
While Singaporeans enjoy the game on and off the court, the nation’s men’s and women’s teams sharpen their skills against top competition at the Singapore Sports Hub
Haribon Espinosa will be looking to drive Team Singapore towards greater success at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025 held at OCBC Square, starting from March 26. PHOTO: BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
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Basketball ranks as one of the most popular sports among teenagers aged 13 to 19 in Singapore, according to the 2023 National Sports Participation Survey
This grassroots passion explains why professional games at the Singapore Sports Hub consistently draw large crowds. The strong interest is not just local; basketball’s popularity across the region has further fuelled Singaporeans’ enthusiasm for the sport.
Recognising this demand, Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), which operates the Sports Hub, will host the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025 for the third consecutive year – a direct response to Singaporeans’ love for the game.
Held from March 26 to 30, the tournament will see 25 men’s and 23 women’s teams gunning for glory. Australia will be defending both crowns, while Team Singapore will be pushing for a strong run this edition.
The Australian men’s team (in yellow) will be defending its crown at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup this year. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
One player who will be donning Singapore’s red is Haribon Espinosa, who has been part of the national team for the last year and a half.
“It’s a huge opportunity to showcase our abilities against top basketball nations in one of the biggest tournaments in Asia and personally, I’ve been waiting to be a part of something of this magnitude,” says the 24-year-old.
“We’re definitely going to be undersized compared to our opponents so we have to be physical and put pressure on these bigger teams. We have to stay level-headed throughout.”
The men’s team finished cellar dwellers in the main draw’s pool phase in 2024 but Espinosa is confident of the improvement the team has made over the last year.
“We’ve made some adjustments to our approach and I feel like we’ve made leaps in our progress. If everything goes well I believe we have a chance at making it to the podium,” he says.
Singapore is drawn in Pool A, alongside top seed and 2023 champion Mongolia and a qualifier from the group comprising Bahrain, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Like Espinosa, Singapore cager Jermaine Lim, 23, is quietly optimistic of an improved showing by the women’s team this edition.
Team Singapore’s Jermaine Lim hopes that the team will improve its showing compared to the 2024 edition of the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup. PHOTO: BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
“We’ve been training consistently and our coach has given specific advice to each player so that we can improve individually and better contribute to the team as a whole,” she says, predicting a top eight or better finish at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup.
“We’ve seen significant improvements in our game play from tournament to tournament – the energy is high and we’re hustling hard on court, so I definitely see a good fighting chance this year.”
The Singapore women’s side will face Japan and a qualifier – Iran, Kazakhstan, Maldives or Vietnam – in Pool C.
The Sports Hub’s role to promote sporting excellence
For Team Singapore, playing in a competitive tournament like the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup is essential for December’s SEA Games preparation.
Not only do the players get to earn competitive minutes under their belts, but they also have an opportunity to stretch their abilities, test out strategies and gain valuable game play experience.
Yazed Osman, group head of events and placemaking and place management at KASM, shares: “We are pleased that our hosting of basketball games and tournaments such as the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup provide Team Singapore athletes, officials and coaches a competition environment to test themselves against the best teams in the region, and better prepare for upcoming games this year.”
The Sports Hub also supports the sport by providing Team Singapore basketball teams with regular training access at the OCBC Arena – just like how it offers many other national sports associations use of its facilities.
For instance, Team Singapore’s shuttlers train at OCBC Arena; the swimmers and water polo players at the OCBC Aquatic Centre; and the canoeists and dragon boaters at the Water Sports Centre.
Besides exciting basketball action, there will also be fringe activities for fans to take part in at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
The Sports Hub’s support for basketball has reaped benefits. With the hard work of the Basketball Association of Singapore and its cagers, Singapore has reached its highest year-end combined federation world ranking of 22 in November 2024.
It is also now the fourth best team in Asia, behind China, Mongolia and Japan.
While it pulls out all stops to back Team Singapore’s endeavours, KASM believes that sports is not just for the elites.
Instead, sports brings the greater community – sports professionals, national athletes, weekend warriors and all Singaporeans – together.
Love for the game starts young
During Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025, they could possibly be the youngest supporters in the stands at OCBC Square.
Brothers Bradley and Blake Lim, 10 and 12 respectively, will be there to cheer on Team Singapore and Kelvin Lim, their favourite player of the team.
Having enjoyed the games at Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, brothers Bradley (centre) and Blake Lim (right), with their friend, are looking forward to the on-court action at the 2025 edition. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
“We like watching basketball because it is fun and exciting,” explains Blake, who represents his primary school’s basketball team in the National School Games. Bradley’s co-curricular activity in school is also basketball.
“The games are so thrilling to watch. Whenever a player makes a last-second, game-winning shot, the crowd goes wild!”
Having watched the last two editions of the competition, both boys, who are also members of the ActiveSG Basketball Academy, are converts of the 3x3 variant of the sport.
“We enjoy the games because 3x3 is very fast-paced,” says Blake. “A three-pointer is counted as two points, and there is no need for an inbounds pass after a basket, making the game more exciting.”
As the Sports Hub hosts major events such as the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup, WTT Singapore Smash and Singapore Tennis Open, efforts have always been made to complement these top-level competitions with community engagement activities, such as learning journeys, clinics and meet-and-greets.
“Ensuring accessibility to the sport is always top of mind for KASM and these initiatives help encourage an active and healthy lifestyle among Singaporeans,” explains Yazed.
“We offered free entry to selected sessions at the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup and Fiba Intercontinental Cup last year, and we have made the same commitment this year with the first session on the first two days of the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup. We hope that by providing access to live sports and opportunities to catch their compatriots in action, we help instil a sense of national pride and inspire the next generation of Team Singapore athletes.”
To pave the way for future talent, Team Singapore will have to put in strong performances at the tournament.
Lim notes that both the men’s and women’s teams are ready to bring their A-game to the court. But she also calls for more Singaporeans to purchase tickets
She says: “We’re going to need all the energy, spirit and support we can get from Singaporeans. Together, we can cheer our loudest and show everyone what it means to be Singaporean!”
The Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup 2025 takes place from March 26 to 30 at the Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Square. Tickets for the main draw can be purchased here Learn more here
