The International Basketball Federation -FIBA- staged three 3×3 competitions across its main international circuits on 18 and 19 July. Ub won the FIBA 3×3 Novi Sad Challenger 2026, Rapid Bucharest claimed the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Baku 2026 and Ulaanbaatar Amazons triumphed at the inaugural FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Jinan 2026. The schedule brought simultaneous competition to Serbia, Azerbaijan and China.
The three tournaments served different purposes within the calendar. The men’s Challenger in Novi Sad awarded three places at the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Malaga 2026, while the two women’s events distributed Race to the Final points for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series. The same weekend therefore connected a qualifying route into the leading men’s circuit with two stops on the women’s competition across Europe and Asia.
Novi Sad awards three World Tour Malaga places
Ub secured their first Novi Sad Challenger title by defeating Liman 20-19 in an all-Serbian final. Filip Kaluđerović scored the decisive basket with 30 seconds remaining and Nenad Nerandžić was named tournament MVP. The victory added another achievement for one of the professional circuit’s leading teams in a city closely associated with the international development of 3×3 basketball.
The result sent Ub through to Malaga alongside Antwerp and Fuengirola, who finished third and fourth respectively. Liman were runners-up, but the Challenger conditions allowed only one Serbian team to qualify directly, meaning the other two places went to the next eligible sides in the standings. Fuengirola reached the semi-finals to secure their World Tour appearance, while Valencia Basket also competed in Novi Sad.
Rapid Bucharest and Ulaanbaatar win the two women’s events
Rapid Bucharest defeated Austria 17-12 in the Baku final to claim their second consecutive Women’s Series title. The Romanian team had won their first circuit event one week earlier in Cáceres and completed another unbeaten campaign. Hortense Limouzin was named the stop’s MVP as Austria reached their first final of the season. Lithuania and Slovenia occupied the next two positions, while Spain finished sixth among the 16 participants.
Jinan joined the Women’s Series calendar for the first time with another 16-team field drawn from Asia and Europe. Ulaanbaatar Amazons defeated France 20-19 to secure their second title of the season after eliminating the host nation and Mitsubishi Electric during the knockout stage. Amari Robinson scored the deciding basket with the scores level and Khulan Onolbaatar was named tournament MVP. The victory gave the Mongolian team further points in their attempt to qualify for the Series Final.
The Women’s Series continues in Indonesia
The simultaneous Baku and Jinan events distributed 32 places among teams and national sides from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The Azerbaijani stop included representatives from Chile, Brazil, Uganda, Benin and Singapore, alongside several European teams. The Chinese event brought together national sides and city or commercially backed teams from France, Germany, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Mongolia. This format allows the Women’s Series to combine national teams with other structures within the same international standings.
The women’s circuit will continue in Batam on 23 and 24 July, with further Race to the Final points available. The Indonesian city will subsequently stage a men’s Challenger, extending the sequence of events connected to FIBA 3×3’s two leading professional pathways. Ub, Antwerp and Fuengirola will take that connection into the World Tour in Malaga after earning qualification in Novi Sad.
Last related articles
