32 top university teams to converge in Xiamen, China
It’s fun, it’s global and it’s a spectacle. It pits the world’s best university teams against each other, on a world stage. The fourth edition of the pathbreaking FISU 3×3 World University League Finals is just 10 days away, and teams from around the world are fine-tuning their final preparations.
As with the previous three editions, the 2018 edition takes place in Xiamen, China from 15-18 November. The 32 competing teams – 16 each in the men’s and women’s fields – have earned the honour of representing their continents after coming through tough continental qualifiers held in Oceania, Asia, Americas, Africa and Europe. The field also incudes the 2 host teams from China – Huaqiao University and Peking Univeristy – as well as the men’s and women’s defending champions Mon-Altius Physical Education Institute of Mongolia and Chinese Culture University of Taipei, respectively.
Jacqui Trotto of Monash University, Australia can’t wait to get on court in Xiamen. “Being able to represent Australia and Monash is especially exciting,” she says. “But meeting people from all across the world, building new friendships and being part of such an enjoyable tournament is also something I’m looking forward to.”
Connie Poletti of Lincoln University, New Zealand sent us this video to tell us exactly how much she and her team are excited about the event. Check it out to see what they are looking forward to the most, other than basketball!
The action on all four evenings is nonstop, with up to 24 matches in a day, courtside entertainment, Huaqiao University’s very own cheerleading squad and emcees who will keep the crowd on their feet. The teams have been divided into 4 Pools of 4 teams each and will play each other in round robin format through Days 1 and 2. Day 3 will witness the last 16 in action, as well as a shootout contest for women and a slam-dunk contest for men, peppered throughout the day, in between matches. The 4thand final day is a bonanza for basketball fans, with quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all taking place one after the other.
The fast-paced format of 3×3 Basketball is tailor-made for university students and the World University League Finals are now among the prime events on FISU’s sports programme. The game is played on half a court, with just one hoop.
There’s no halftime, no quarters, and therefore not a minute that isn’t intense. Each game lasts a maximum of 10 minutes and there’s a 12-second shot clock, ensuring teams take risks by attacking the rim and launching shots deep beyond the perimeter. In a nutshell, it is a high-octane sport that is already the world’s most popular urban team sport. With FISU bringing the world’s top university teams together, there is nothing quite like the FISU 3×3 World University League Finals, in the sports world.
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