FIBA contemplate 3-on-3 basketball future
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The 3-on-3 basketball may find a place in world-level competition or even future Olympic Games after the new format was well received at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, FIBA president Bob Elphinston said?in Singapore?on Tuesday.
"We're looking to see how we can develop FIBA 33 on a world basis," Elphinston said.
While the three a side game was hailed a success by players, coaches, officials and spectators alike, Elphinston started to think it may have a future in the Olympics.
"We want to use FIBA 33 to encourage more young girls and boys to play the game, to get started in basketball. We also want to create FIBA 33 as a separate discipline, not dissimilar to what we see at the Olympic Games with volleyball, in that we have beach volleyball and we have volleyball.
"We'd like to see FIBA 33, 3-on-3 basketball as a discipline played in an outdoor environment as we ve played here, because this could be for example in Rio played on the beach. It could be on Copa Cabana beach next to beach volleyball," he said.
But to the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, a new fan for 3-on-3 basketball, it is not as easy as simply adding FIBA 33 to the schedule.
"Three on three is definitely an exciting format but there is one issue at the Olympic Games, and that is that we have a limited number of athletes," he said.
"If we let the Games grow without limit then they will be too costly, too difficult to organize and that will create problems.
"I'm not saying 3-on-3 will not come into the program, I'm saying the difficulty is the number of athletes." He said.
Elphinston is also realistic about the likelihood of FIBA 33's inclusion in the Olympic Games.
While he believes 2020 would be the earliest possible Olympic Games to see 3-on-3 as part of the competition, the opportunities for the new format are still endless.
"The limits are only really your imagination and what people see as a benefit. We think it's exciting," he said.
