INTERNATIONAL STREET BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS

PALE, JUNE 25 /SRNA/ - A traditional international FIBA 3x3 quest street basketball tournament began in Pale today, bringing together around twenty senior teams.

The winner of the senior competition will receive a cash prize of BAM 4,000 and a slot at a tournament in Lausanne, while the runners-up will earn BAM 1,200.

The teams finishing in third and fourth place will receive BAM 600 and BAM 400, respectively.

The tournament is organized by the citizens' association Three-on-Three – More Than a Game from Pale. One of the organizers, Mladen Pavlović, told SRNA that youth-category matches are being played today, featuring pioneers and cadets from 30 teams.

He said that 22 junior teams will compete tomorrow, and that a mini-basketball tournament will also be held. In addition to the traditional 3x3 basketball competition, a charity three-point shooting contest will be organized.

"Senior teams will compete on Saturday, and registration is still open. So far, around twenty teams from Republika Srpska, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and the Netherlands have signed up. A fantastic battle for a spot at the FIBA Masters tournament in Lausanne is expected," Pavlović said.

He said that the tournament was granted Quest status by FIBA last year and that the organizers managed to retain it, which means a great deal to them, as it is not easy, given that FIBA selects which tournaments receive slots leading to Masters events, of which there are only 17 during the season.

"This year, our tournament provides a slot at one of the FIBA Masters events in Lausanne, which is a major achievement for both the organizers and the Municipality of Pale," Pavlović said.

According to him, 3x3 basketball continues to grow in popularity year after year and will be featured at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The tournament, held under the auspices of the Municipality of Pale, is taking place at the courts of the Koran Student Centre and will run through Sunday, June 28.