Paris: The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has announced that there are no immediate plans to expand the Olympic 3×3 basketball competition. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, speaking at the annual year-end media conference in Paris on Thursday, clarified that the number of teams participating in both 5×5 and 3×3 basketball events at the Olympics would not increase for the Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032 Games. “The number of quotas for sports will not increase, as recently confirmed for Los Angeles,” Zagklis stated. Currently, the 2024 Paris Olympics has allocated eight berths per gender for 3×3 basketball, while most team sports have 12 slots, and men’s football has 16.
According to Philippines News Agency, Zagklis noted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering reducing the number of sports rather than expanding them. The recent approval of cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash as additional sports for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics by the 141st IOC Session was highlighted, with squash being the only non-team sport. He also mentioned the general cap of 10,500 athletes for the Olympic Games. Despite acknowledging the limited representation in 3×3 basketball, Zagklis viewed this as part of the broader context of the Olympics. He expressed gratitude to the IOC for allowing late Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, accommodating professional league schedules worldwide.
The FIBA 3×3 basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournaments are scheduled for May 2024, with the 5×5 basketball qualifiers set as late as July 7, mere weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024. This tight schedule poses logistical challenges for the IOC in terms of athlete accommodation and transportation. Due to the smaller team quotas, host nation France has been granted only one automatic berth in 3×3 basketball. The French women’s team secured this spot due to their higher world ranking, leaving the men’s team to compete in the Qualifying Tournaments. Zagklis expressed confidence in the high level of talent and excitement anticipated for the 3×3 basketball event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
