Port Hercule hosts international 3×3 basketball tournament
Monaco's 3X3 basketball team against Bologna © Communication department / Charly Gallo
Although the Monegasque team did not win the competition, the new sport is certainly growing.
3×3 basketball has become increasingly popular since it featured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. And by way of proof if proof were needed, a tournament was organised on Saturday 17 August, on Port Hercule, to coincide with the Monaco international lite quest.
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In all, 12 teams took part, with a mix of professionals and amateurs. The teams included Nice Vauban, Menton, Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand, as well as Sanremo and Bologna (Italy), Louvain (Belgium) and Pando Mataro (Spain).
Up for grabs, a ticket through to the next stage of the tournament and €1,200 for the winners. The runners-up received a cheque for €800 .
Different rules to 5×5
Unlike traditional basketball, 3×3 basketball is played on a half-court. But there are other differences, like the duration of the match which is 10 minutes, and the maximum ball possession per phase (12 seconds), for example.
The winning team is the first to score 21 points, or the one with the highest score after the 10 minutes are up. If it goes into extra time, the first team to score two points wins the match.
Once qualified for the lite quest, the team can take part in the challenger competitions, then move up to the professional level with the Masters. Monaco was defeated by Bologna, but a new edition of the Monaco international lite quest is already planned for next year!