The Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns 3X3 squads are looking to make their mark in the FIBA 3X3 World Cup Qualifier Asia 2022 event, which tips off tomorrow in Doha.
Tall Ferns Tiarna Clarke, Ella Fotu, Esra McGoldrick and Sharne Robati, alongside Tall Blacks Taylor Britt, Dom Kelman-Poto, Nikau McCullough and Tai Wynyard, have been based in Doha since Tuesday in preparation for the 3X3 Qualifiers, which tip off from 26 March (NZ time) at the Al Gharafa Sports Complex.
Also with the team is Tall Blacks 3X3 Head Coach Piet Van Hasselt, along with Basketball NZ Head of High Performance, Leonard King. Tall Ferns Head Coach Justine Reed was unable to travel with the team to Doha due to illness; she is instead supporting the women’s squad remotely from New Zealand.
With six teams in each gender competing across the two-day tournament, all teams will play two matches in the Qualifier’s opening day on 26 March NZ time (25 March Doha time); the Tall Ferns taking on Qatar and Iran in their two Pool A games, while the Tall Blacks will battle against Qatar and Kazakhstan in their Pool A games.
The two top-ranked teams from Pool A and B will then progress to the men’s and women’s semi-finals on Day Two, followed by a final game to determine the overall men’s and women’s winners. Each winner will secure a coveted spot in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2022, which this year takes place in Antwerp, Belgium on 21-26 June.
All game will be streamed live – and free – on FIBA’s 3X3 YouTube channel.
Both New Zealand teams enter this Qualifier as the current top-ranked teams in Oceania, with the Tall Ferns having won the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in 2018 after beating China in a tense final.
Schedule:
Women’s Pool A, 25 March (26 March NZ time)
- 1.30am NZ time (3.30pm local) – Tall Ferns vs. Qatar
- 3.30am NZ time (5.30pm local) – Tall Ferns vs. Iran
Men’s Pool A, 25 March (26 March NZ time)
- 2.30am NZ time (4.30pm local) – Tall Blacks vs. Qatar
- 4.30am NZ time (6.30pm local) – Tall Ferns vs. Kazakhstan
Women’s Finals, 26 March (27 March NZ time)
- 3.10am NZ time (5.10pm local) – Semi-final #1, A1 vs. B2
- 3.45am NZ time (5.45pm local) – Semi-final #2, B1 vs. A2
- 5.30am NZ time (7.30pm local) – Women’s Final
Men’s Finals, 26 March (27 March NZ time)
- 4.20am NZ time (6.20pm local) – Semi-final #1, A1 vs. B2
- 4.55am NZ time (6.55pm local) – Semi-final #2, B1 vs. A2
- 6.05am NZ time (8.05pm local) – Men’s Final
Find out more at:
- Watch the games at: https://tinyurl.com/54kv37bj
- BBNZ – https://nz.basketball/national-teams/3×3-national-teams/
- FIBA – https://www.fiba.basketball/3x3WorldCup/2022/Qualifier-Asia
