184 teams from across Aotearoa. Over 900 boys and girls attending from 72 schools. A massive 1,100 games being played across 12 courts over four days.
The sheer numbers behind the 3×3 Secondary Schools Nationals – held at Auckland’s Pulman Arena from 29 March to 1 April 2023 – are massive, and for Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) it represents a logistical challenge across a range of fronts.
BBNZ Events Co-Ordinator, Kathrynn Jelas says that the setup and operation of a large-scale event like the 3×3 Secondary Schools Nationals makes it one of the largest age group tournaments in the country.
“The logistics of running 12 games concurrently – each with their own referees and scorebench officials as well as each teams’ players – means that over 120 people are actively participating in the 3×3 games at any one time throughout the day,” says Jelas.
“It’s also about keeping the large number of participants happy when their team is not playing too, so we’ve set up table tennis and other activities to keep them entertained until they’re back out on the court.
“An event of this scale is a challenge we welcome, as it means more athletes and schools can participate which is what we want. We’re lucky to have a great venue like Pulman Arena to run this tournament at, and a number of excellent officials and volunteer administrators who help make it all happen over the four days.”
BBNZ High Performance Programme Manager for 3×3, Nikolay Mikhalchuk says that the high numbers for this tournament are reflective of the growing popularity of 3×3 basketball in New Zealand.
“It’s fantastic to see so many young basketballers wanting to play 3×3 at this level; It’s a great opportunity for our youth athletes who like the style, pace and intensity of 3×3 basketball,” says Mikhalchuk.
“We know some players have immense basketball talent but might struggle with some of the particular 5 on 5 basketball components, so 3×3 basketball has an opportunity to provide fresh opportunities for such players and to open new doors for them. The 3×3 game can help to build their skill set which can be transferred into the 5 on 5 space, or they can decide to specialise in 3×3 going forward and pursue the Olympic Dream – which is something that many high-level European basketball countries are doing with their players.”
The 3×3 Secondary Schools Nationals will be held at Auckland’s Pulman Arena from 29 March to 1 April 2023. The tournament resumes this year after it was cancelled in 2022 due to the Government’s restrictions due to Covid.
The draw for the event has also been published and available to view. Click here to check it out. Make sure you click on the Draw & Competition Info tab.
BBNZ will also be streaming selected games on Days 3 & 4 which can be watched on BBNZ TV. Click here to view.
Key Info:
- Over 1,100 games will be played at Pulman Arena from 29th March – 1st April 2023.
- All game results, schedules and updates can be found at the BBNZ 3×3 website – https://bbnz.link/3x3SS
- Our Instagram and Facebook will be the best place for photos, information and updates from the Arena
- A Live Stream will be available at BBNZ TV for Day 3 and Day 4, with specific games being broadcasted. The daily broadcast schedule will be available on our Instagram or Facebook stories.
- Merchandise for the tournament can be pre-ordered online via Pure Athletic
