New Delhi, 19th August 2017: In an exciting and path breaking development, the launch of an International 3×3 Pro Basketball League in India was announced at a press conference today at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road in New Delhi.
The dignitaries present at the press conference included Mr. Robert Reiblinger (FIBA 3×3 Development Manager), Mr. Yoshiya Katoh (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – Chairman), Mr. Rohit Bakshi (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – CEO), Ms. Neha Dhupia (Indian Film Actor & Host), Mr. Jyoti Jindal (Jindal PreFab – Managing Director), Mr. Jitender Yadav (Pragati Infra Solutions Pvt. Ltd. – CEO & Founding Director).
While the League is tentatively scheduled for next year, a special two-day 3×3 showcase event called the ‘3×3 Road to Mexico’ will be conducted on 16th & 17th September at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram.
Six international and six leading Indian club teams have been invited to participate. The international teams include Hamamatsu, Alborada, Yokohama (all three are city based teams from Japan), the Malaysian National Team, Sri Lanka President’s Team and a side from Maldives.
Indian teams invited to participate are the top club sides ONGC, IOB, Railways, Services, Ludhiana Basketball Academy and Vijaya Bank.
“3×3 is not only FIBA’s second official discipline and will be played in Tokyo 2020 at the Olympics, it moreover is the number 1 urban team sport in the world. Therefore, India with its plenty of metropolitan areas has a sheer unlimited pool of athletes and talent to offer. Indian teams have had their fair share of success already in 3×3 on continental national team level and Indian players raised some eyebrows on global level when they pushed their team last year to the finals of FIBA’s 3×3 World Tour Final. FIBA is very excited to now have with this event as a direct World Tour Qualifier that will take India to the World stage again,” said Mr Reiblinger.
“We are excited to bring FIBA 3×3 Basketball to the Indian subcontinent and are committed to keep pushing this fast paced urban sport into many cities in the region. “3×3 Road to Mexico” will be a new opportunity for players, spectators and fans alike to get their first taste of 3×3 Pro Basketball League action. 3BL will create grassroots 3×3 basketball and will be building 3×3 basketball courts across the Indian subcontinent,” said Mr Katoh.
