Singapore, 11 April 2026 – Singapore produced one of the biggest moments of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier 2026 so far, stunning Brazil 15-13 in overtime to advance to Round 2 and keep their FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2026 dreams alive.
In a do-or-die clash in Women’s Pool B, the team showed resilience, composure and belief. They overcame a slow start and a mid-game deficit to deliver a statement win in front of their home fans at OCBC Square at The Kallang.
Brazil looked in control early, racing to a 9-3 lead midway through the contest. However, Singapore refused to back down, chipping away at the deficit with timely buckets and relentless defense. With momentum building, the hosts clawed their way back to force overtime at 13-all.
In the extra period, it was Han XingYue who delivered the defining moment, knocking down a clutch two-pointer to seal the 15-13 victory and send the home crowd into delirious celebration.
Han said: “This win means a lot. We played a good first game but not good enough to beat the Philippines. For our game against Brazil, we just trusted the game plan, and went for every bounce, and managed to win the game. I'm very proud of my teammates, no one gave up. We just continued fighting, even though we were losing. We trusted each other.”
Singapore’s national head coach Lazar Rasic added: “We have some problems with opening the game. We are working on that. It probably is a little bit of nervousness due to the importance of the competitions. But I'm happy because we are showing the character that we are not giving up until the very end of the game…this is a big win for us.”
Meanwhile, Hungary (women) and Italy (men) stamped their authority on Day 1 of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier 2026, finishing unbeaten to top their respective pools and book their spots in Round 2.
Hungary were the standout team in the women’s field, going 2-0 in Pool A behind the stellar play of Vivi Böröndy, who set the tone on both ends. She dropped 10 points in a hard-fought 21-18 win over Egypt to open their campaign, before adding 8 points in a tense 16-15 overtime victory against Lithuania.
Both games tested Hungary’s composure, but Böröndy’s scoring and presence in key moments proved decisive as they held off late rallies and executed when it mattered most.
Böröndy commented after their hard-fought win against Lithuania in overtime: “I don't know when was the last time I played such a long game in 3x3. It was so tiring, to be honest...we played hard. We are just playing for the first time together, so it's hard, and we are still putting together the pieces. But I'm so proud of the team because everybody is a fighter in this team. We have to keep it going, this aggressiveness. We are doing a great job and we have to keep going.
Lithuania also advanced from Pool A after surviving two overtime battles, including a dramatic 19-18 win over Egypt, who were eliminated after two narrow losses.
On the men’s side, Italy were in control from start to finish in Pool B. They opened with a commanding 17-12 win over New Zealand, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Flavio Gay led the charge with 6 points, setting the tone with his aggressive play and scoring.
Italy then passed their toughest test against Egypt, grinding out a 21-19 victory in a back-and-forth battle. With the game tied late, they held their nerve in the closing moments to complete a perfect 2-0 record.
New Zealand joined them in advancing after surviving a narrow 16-15 win over Egypt.
Aidan Tonge, fresh off Team New Zealand’s FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup title, shared how the competition last week had an impact on their performance today: “It is a little bit of a toll on the body…I feel like we’ve come out a bit flat these last two games, something that the international stage is really bringing to us compared to Asia, credit to those two teams. They’re really putting us in our place and making us in our yard. So it was really good.”
Additional quotes
Singapore (Men’s)
Captain Nur Aufa Bin Emil Putra said at the end of the day: “Before this game against Brazil, we already knew that no matter the results, we are going home, so the game plan was just to go all out, not stop and just show the crowd what we have been working on. Sadly, I think we didn't even get to show the technical part. I think we are missing out on experience as always. It’s a below average performance as a team for this competition.
We appreciate our fans a lot. Every week coming here, every weekend…always hearing their voices, it just gives us a lot of support and helps us a lot. We know what it means to be able to represent in the country, and then in front of our own crowd. I
think there's something special. We apologise for not showing up to our fullest, but do keep coming down to support us.”
Brazil (Men’s)
William Weihermann after their win against Singapore: “We knew it won't be easy. Singapore is a great team. The crowd is all for them. So it was a cool game to play. We are very focused on what we need to do. We studied them a lot, and we are very happy with our performance today.”
Singapore (Women’s)
Jermaine Lim was ecstatic with the results against Brazil: “We are just really, really happy. It's a great honor to even be able to compete at the World Cup qualifiers. Now that we've made it to the next round, it's even more motivation for us to push even harder and try to get to the World Cup. The fans were great. Every single time we take our first step to go for the basket, we can really hear people cheering. We were feeling super tired but when we heard them cheer, we were like, ‘we have to do this for our friends, family and everyone watching.”
Czechia (Men’s)
Štěpán Borovka shared how the team is coping with the humidity: “We're feeling under the weather, because the conditions are not great for us. It’s really hot…the ball is slippery, but we won the first game. It was the most important game for today, but we didn't have the same power as Brazil in the second game. It was very visible at the beginning of the game, and it was hard to respond. They made some crazy, tough shots, but that's life. We'll be preparing for tomorrow's game, and we have to be better prepared mentally to win.”
Round two of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier 2026 continues tomorrow at OCBC Square at The Kallang. Children under four years of age will enjoy free entry provided they do not occupy a seat. Ticket prices start from $7.50 (excluding booking fee).
With the pool phase complete, the competition goes into knockout phase with the following match-ups:
Women
Hungary vs Singapore
Philippines vs Lithuania
Men
Brazil vs New Zealand
Italy vs Czechia
