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The race for Olympic places has officially begun

The Olympic Games are the dream of every professional athlete and it is the most significant and most important experience in his career. 3×3 Basketball had its debut in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in 2021. Latvia and USA won the 2020 Olympic Games in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.

The ranking list on November 1st 2023, will determine which country will qualify directly for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the Olympic qualifying tournament. The ranking is based on ranking points acquired by the Top 25 players in each country. Points are collected only during the each player’s best nine FIBA-endorsed events in the last 12 months before 1 November 2023.

The number of points earned at a tournament depends on three factors: final standings of the competition, group stage result( the best 3 or 9 results in pool phase or league phase) and individual performance (each player’s best five individual scoring results).

The qualification for the main tournament is split into four parts.

Pierre de Coubertin’s vision of modern Olympic Games had intention of universality. Universality was based on idea to include not only all nations, but all the games into Olympic games.

The first phase includes announcing the ranking list on November 1, 2023, and three quota places will be given to countries per gender. The host country of the Olympic Games will receive one quota place.

FIBA will assign one quota place to the host country to their best-ranked team (either women’s or men’s) if the host National Olympic Committee (NOC) teams are outside of the top three in the ranking.

The two or three teams (this number depends on the allocation of host country place) with the highest ranking per category on the ranking list will each obtain a card for Olympic Games. It is not allowed that two National Olympic Committees from the same continent to receive tickets for the Olympics in this first phase of qualification.

The second phase consists of Universality-driven Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1(UOQT1). The team ranked highest in each gender at UOQT1 will earn one spot in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Eight teams per category are competing in the UOQT1. The host country of this tournament is allowed to participate(if they have not earned a spot through the ranking list).

Seven highest-ranked NOCs (if host NOCs have earned quota place already) who still haven’t qualified are fulfilling the rest of the list of members at UOQT1. NOCs that have not taken part in 5×5 basketball tournaments in the previous two editions of the Olympic Games can participate in the UOQT1.

Universality–driven qualifying Olympic tournament (UOQT2) is representing the third part of the qualification. Eight squads in both men’s and women’s categories will fight in the UOQT2 for winning one place in Olympic Games respectively.

The highest-ranked (not yet qualified) National Olympic Committee in the standings of each of the 2023 continental cups will participate in the UOQT2.

The host country of UOQT2 has the right to participate in the competition if they are not already qualified for the Olympics and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2. The host country of the Olympic Games (France) is allowed to take part in this tournament, apart from the previous qualification for the Olympics or UOQT2.

If the required number of teams is not reached, teams will be picked up from among the eight highest–ranked teams in the World Cup 2023. Only non-qualified teams from that World Cup can be selected.

The fourth phase of qualification is the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) which will include sixteen teams per gender. Three squads with the best ranking per category will earn one quota place. The host countries of this qualifying tournament and Olympic Games are eligible to participate in the OQT (if they are not already qualified for OQT or Olympics).

Fourteen countries or more(if the host National Olympic Committee of the OQT or France as the host country of the Olympic Games have already taken participation) with the highest ranking on the ranking list, apart from the previous qualification for the Olympic Games.

At least two teams per category from the same zone will participate in the OQT and the maximum shall be 10 teams.

More: olympics.com

About the author

Marjan Nikolic

Passionate sports guy, coming from the eastern Europe where best basketball is played (yeah, I know you will not agree!). Dynamic 3x3 basket has special place in my heart.

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