Half-court press pays off
After a grueling global schedule of ranking tournaments, China's 3x3 players land Paris prize
Nonstop travel, airport layovers, lost luggage and injuries that never got enough rest — and that was all before the weekly dogfights on the court tipped off.
It has sure been a hectic Olympic qualifying campaign for China's 3x3 basketball players, but their dedication and perseverance have ultimately landed them at their desired destination — next year's Paris Games.
Both China's men's and women's 3x3 national programs finished in the top three of the FIBA rankings by Nov 1, the cutoff date to decide the top three automatic qualifiers for Paris 2024.
Another 10 qualification quotas, five per gender, will be up for grabs at three qualifying tournaments early next year to decide the final fields for the half-court game's second Olympic tournament, following the sport's debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Most Popular
- Fallen soccer giants signal end of China's big-spending era
- Pistons tame Wolves despite Edwards' heroics
- City shows a bit more Pep with successive wins
- Arteta aghast at Brighton penalty as Gunners misfire
- A marathon year for Belgian amateur
- As life without Butler begins, Heat fails to ignite