Singapore teams eye ‘improved performance’ at March’s Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s basketball teams will be looking to put up a better showing in the upcoming Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup on home soil as they gear up for the SEA Games in December.

With better preparation and experience, 3x3 national coach Lazar Rasic is confident his players can give stronger teams a “good fight” when the tournament returns to the Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Square from March 26 to 30.

He said: “The Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup is an important tournament for us every year, but especially so this year, and we are excited to be competing at home again.

“Last year’s edition was my first tournament with the teams and the first time for a lot of players as well. We learnt many valuable lessons from it and we will use them to improve on our performance this year.”

Singapore, who also hosted the last three Asia Cups from 2022, finished last in the pool phase of both the men and women’s events in 2024.

For the latest edition, the Singapore men’s side are drawn in Pool A, alongside top seeds and 2023 champions Mongolia and a team from the qualifying group comprising Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and debutants Bahrain.

China and Chinese Taipei are in Pool B, while defending champions Australia and Japan are drawn in Pool C, with New Zealand and Qatar in Pool D. The third team in each pool will come from the qualifiers featuring 17 sides.

The Singaporean men, ranked 30th in the world and fifth in Asia, will be hoping to qualify for the quarter-finals as one of the top-two pool finishers, which they last achieved in 2023.

Rasic, with an eye on the SEA Games in Thailand, said: “This tournament will be crucial for us as we get to see where we stand among our rivals in the region. We need as many competition opportunities as possible to keep getting better and raising the standards of basketball in Singapore, and the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup helps us do that.”

The Singapore women’s side, ranked 19th in the world and fourth in Asia, will face Japan and a qualifier – Iran, Kazakhstan, Maldives or Vietnam – in Pool C.

World No. 1 China have New Zealand for company in Pool A, while Mongolia and Thailand are drawn in Pool B. Two-time defending women’s champions Australia and the Philippines are in Pool D.

Fifteen teams, including Bahrain, who are also sending a women’s team for the first time, are vying to clinch the four main-draw spots.

Singapore women’s player Jermaine Lim is looking forward to playing in front of the home fans.

She added: “If I’m selected, this will be my first time competing in the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup. We’ve been preparing well for the past year and even achieved our highest combined federation ranking ever (22nd in the world and fourth in Asia), so we’re excited to show what we’ve been working on.

“We hope to put on a good show for our fellow Singaporeans.”

Entry is free for selected sessions of the qualifiers on March 26 and 27. Ticket prices for the main draw range from a concession rate of $5 (youths under 18, seniors above 60, full-time national servicemen and persons with disabilities) to $65 for courtside seats during the final.

For more information, go to https://www.sportshub.com.sg/events/fiba-3x3-asia-cup-2025