3x3 basketball: can Hong Kong follow Mongolia’s route to the Olympics?

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters has raised the question of whether Hong Kong’s national team can make an impact in the short format

Mongolia’s swift rise from Hong Kong’s level in traditional basketball to world’s top six in 3x3 is the inspiration, but investment and recruitment are needed

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Mongolian side Ulaanbaatar in action at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters. Photo: FIBA

Published: 8:15am, 5 Dec 2022

As basketball stars departed last week following the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters, they left behind the question of whether the city could become a force in the sport’s shortened form – and the answer may lie in Mongolia.

The best-performing Asian team at the Masters were Mongolian side Ulaanbaatar, in keeping with their country’s progress in the format since it actively developed 3x3 a decade ago. Some believe Hong Kong could aim to follow the template of the continent’s now leading nation, perhaps all the way to the Olympics.

Latvia and the United States won the men’s and women’s gold respectively when 3x3 made its Olympic debut in Tokyo last year, with Russia taking silver in both, but Mongolia’s women’s team were a notable inclusion, too.

Their appearance at the Games was the consequence of decisions and funding in Mongolia that grew 3x3 rapidly – something that Hong Kong could emulate, according to Kenny Wong, CEO of Masters organiser M1 and vice-president of the Hong Kong Basketball Association (HKBA).

Lithuanian side Sakiai Gulbele celebrate winning the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong Masters. Photo: Jonathan Wong

“There has been no shortage of great players in Hong Kong over the years, but to assemble a team of 12 to 15 players [for full-court basketball] is way more difficult than four to six [for 3x3],” Wong said.