MANILA – Hong Kong will be the venue of this year's 3x3 World Tour Finals, the FIBA announced on Thursday.
It will be the city's first time to stage the 12-team competition from Nov. 23 to 24.
Along with the announcement, FIBA also said Hong Kong can qualify for the finals via a three-team play-off.
The season's top 11 teams will qualify automatically, while the 12th team in the rankings, along with Hong Kong and the team with the most combined World Tour and lower-tier Challenger victories, will dispute the last spot.
Hong Kong hosted World Tour events as well as the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament last April 12-14.
"The 13th edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final in Hong Kong is a testament to the city's growing importance in the 3x3 community and its ability to host world-class sporting events," FIBA 3x3 Managing Director Alex Sanchez said in a press release posted on the FIBA website.
"After the success of our World Tour events here in the past two years and the recent FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament, it was a natural step to bring our biggest pro tour event to this vibrant city," he added.
Kenny Wong, the chief executive officer of the Organizing Committee for the World Tour Final, said Hong Kong is ready and enthusiastic to host the tournament.
"Hong Kong is thrilled to welcome the world's best 3x3 teams and their fans to our city. With its iconic backdrop and passionate basketball community, we are set to provide a spectacular setting for the pinnacle of the 3x3 season," he said.
The 2024 World Tour kicked off in Utsunomiya, Japan on April 27-28.
The next stop will be in Marseille, France (May 31 – June 1), followed by Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (June 8-9); Chengdu, China (June 22-23); Edmonton, Canada (July 6-7); Almaty, Kazakhstan (July 13-14); Lausanne, Switzerland (Aug. 16-17); Debrecen, Hungary (Aug. 31– Sept. 1); Shanghai, China (Sept. 21-22); Wuxi, China (October 6-7); Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Oct. 12-13); Macau (Oct.19-20); Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Oct. 26-27); Manama, Bahrain (Nov. 1-2); Neom (Nov. 7-9); and Shenzhen, China (Nov. 16-17). (PNA)
