Singapore, 1 April 2026 – Four teams (two men’s and two women’s) have secured their places in the Main Draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026.
In the women’s field, Kazakhstan earned their spot after two hard-fought games over the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. They will join China and Thailand in Group A in the Main Draw. Chinese Taipei qualified for the Main Draw for the second consecutive year, securing victory in all three of their games to top the table. They will play alongside Japan and Singapore in Group C in the Main Draw.
In the men’s competition, it was down to the wire for Qualifying Draw B. Malaysia clinched victory with a winning basket in overtime, thrilling fans in their tension-filled match against Turkmenistan. Malaysia now move on to Pool B in the Main Draw, where they will face China and Australia. Meanwhile, India secured their spot after winning all their games against their competitors in Qualifying Draw D; they advance to Pool D in the Main Draw alongside New Zealand and Qatar.
TEAMS
Kazakhstan (Women’s)
Kazakhstan were the first women’s team to book their place in the Main Draw, going unbeaten in their group.
They opened with a 20-17 win over Korea, leading wire-to-wire before holding off a late push. They followed it up with a convincing 21-12 victory over Vietnam, powered by Dilnaz Yerkebay, who scored 12 points, including four two-pointers.
Yerkebay shared: “It was a little difficult in the beginning. Vietnam was really strong; and we kept on shooting but we didn’t score much in the beginning. Thankfully, we managed to reset and eventually, we did it…we find the humid weather a little tough but we are going to rest and get ready for our matches in the Main Draw.”
Chinese Taipei (Women’s)
Chinese Taipei were one of the most impressive teams of the day, sweeping their group with three convincing wins.
At the centre of their run was Li Chen-I, who delivered a standout scoring display. She finished Day 1 with 23 points, including a 10-point explosion against Saudi Arabia, and knocked down seven two-pointers overall.
Chinese Taipei opened with a dominant 21-4 win over Bahrain, racing to an 18-1 lead before cruising. They followed it up with a composed 19-8 victory over Saudi Arabia, closing the game with a decisive 10-0 run after a tight start.
In their final game, Chinese Taipei pulled away from Hong Kong 19-11, overcoming an early deficit to finish unbeaten and top their group.
Li said after their game against Hong Kong; “We went into the game with an ordinary frame of mind but were confident as we all have 3v3 experience. We focused more on our own preparations and less on our opponents. We'll have a rest day tomorrow and we’ll take the time to review our rival teams in the Main Draw and discuss our strategy.”
Malaysia (Men’s)
On the men’s side, Malaysia secured their progression after a strong showing in a competitive group.
They opened with a 20-16 win over Macau before defeating Saudi Arabia 22-14. Their final game delivered one of the moments of the day, which was a dramatic 22-20 overtime win over Turkmenistan, with Chang Zi Fueng hitting the game-winner to seal Malaysia’s place in the Main Draw.
Chang said, “My teammate trusted me with the ball. I took the risk; took the ball and shot it. I didn’t think of anything. I just focused on the rim, the ball, my hand.. and just shot the ball.”
India (Men’s)
India’s path to the Main Draw was anything but straightforward. Still, they delivered when it mattered.
Led by Pranav Prince and Harsh Dagar, India went 3-0 in their group, with all three games decided by narrow margins. Prince impressed with 14 total points, including a game-winning performance in their opening victory.
India edged Kazakhstan 20-18 in a back-and-forth battle, with Prince stepping up late to seal the win. They followed it up with a tense 19-18 victory over Hong Kong, holding firm in the closing moments after a crucial missed free throw from their opponents.
They completed the sweep with a clinical 21-12 win over Bahrain, controlling the game from start to finish as Dagar unloaded Day 1's highest single-game scoring total of 15 points.
The action continues with Day 2 of the Qualifying Draw at the OCBC Square at The Kallang tomorrow. The first session of play will begin at 3pm and members of the public can enjoy free entry to the first session. Entry will be on a first-come-first-served basis until full capacity is reached. Children under four years of age will also enjoy free entry to FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, provided they do not occupy a seat.
