Singapore, 3 April 2026 – Singapore’s women’s team has made history by advancing to the quarter-finals of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup for the first time. The home team started their campaign with a loss against Japan (11-21) but came back strong to defeat qualifier, Chinese Taipei, in a decisive final game, winning 19-16, much to the delight of the home crowd. The home team will face China on Sunday in the first quarter-final match of the day at 1.30pm.
Singapore’s Jermaine Lim is grateful for the support: “ Every time we score, we hear voices that are louder than ours, so we know that people really have our backs. We know they recognise our efforts and it really encourages us and hypes us to push even harder, even though we were really very tired.”
National head coach, Lazar Rasic is pleased with his team’s fighting spirit: “I’m so pleased with our game against Chinese Taipei. Finally, after so many editions of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore, our players and our fans deserve one match like this where they are really giving everything they have. I'm proud that we played with heart and fought for the win for Singapore. Thank you to the fans. I really appreciate everything they are doing for us. This means a lot to our players, so keep supporting us.”
The Main Draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 kicked off with a thrilling opener as qualifier Malaysia pulled off a stunning upset against China (21-19). The Malaysians’ nifty footwork and gutsy play kept both the fans and the Chinese side on edge and the Malaysians triumphed with a two-pointer, in the last 30 seconds of the game. Undaunted, the Chinese side came back strong in their last game of the day, converting multiple two-pointers, giving them the lead over Australia and eventually winning the game (21-15). China tops Group B and will play Group D runner-up, Qatar, in the quarter-finals.
The other quarter-final match-ups are New Zealand vs Australia (men’s) and Japan vs Thailand (women’s).
TEAMS
Australia (Men’s)
Dillon Stith said after their game against Malaysia: “It was our first game of the day, and a good start is important to any tournament. Starting it with a win, starting it where we were dominant, that's really important. So it's not about just winning. It's us asserting our strength, our physicality, and our force, and we felt like we did that.”
China (Men’s)
China’s men produced one of the standout moments of the day, securing a 21-15 win over Australia, which was their first-ever victory against Australia at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup.
At the centre of the breakthrough was Liu Qianhao, whose shooting display proved decisive. He poured in 13 points, including five two-pointers, stretching the defense and swinging momentum in China’s favor. After a tight start, Liu’s long-range shooting helped China pull ahead late, sealing a statement win that propelled them into the quarter-finals. Despite an earlier 21-19 upset loss to Malaysia, China advanced alongside Australia due to superior scoring, topping a tightly contested Pool B.
Liu is pleased with the team coming together for their decisive game against Australia: “This is the first time we’ve played as a team in a competition and we’ve only had about two weeks to train together for this competition. We experienced a few issues in the first game against Malaysia but we managed to overcome the issues in our game against Australia. We are going to each game as it comes and play to our best ability.”
New Zealand (Men’s)
New Zealand was one of the most impressive teams of Day 3, going 2-0 to top Men's Pool D with authority. Leading the charge was Te Tuhi Lewis, who scored 20 points across two games and dictated the tempo throughout.
New Zealand opened with a 16-11 win over India, before stepping up in a dominant 21-11 victory over Qatar. Lewis caught fire in the second game, knocking down back-to-back two-pointers to break it open.
With strong ball movement and efficient scoring, New Zealand head into the quarter-finals in sharp form. They will face Oceania rivals Australia in a win-or-go-home Day 5 matchup.
Japan (Women’s)
Japan’s women had a strong Day 3 run, finishing 2-0 to secure top spot in their pool. They opened with a dominant 21-11 win over Singapore, controlling the game from start to finish. They followed it up with a hard-fought 14-11 victory over Chinese Taipei, holding firm after a late push from their opponents.
Japan now advances to the quarter-finals, where they will face Thailand.
China (Women’s)
China’s women delivered a composed and efficient showing, going 2-0 to top Women's Pool A. They opened with a 16-13 win over Thailand, grinding through a physical contest before taking control late. They followed it up with a convincing 21-14 victory over Kazakhstan, with strong inside play and balanced scoring proving key. China now moves into the quarter-finals as one of the teams to beat.
FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup debutant, A Ganajing said: “This is my first FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and I feel very honoured to represent my country. It is also an honour for me to learn and play alongside my seniors, many of whom are Olympians. They have been very encouraging, pushing me to attack even when I was hesitant. Their encouragement allows me to play better and helps me gain even more confidence. I also love playing in the competition here; the fans are as warm as the weather here!”
Additional quotes
Malaysia (Men’s)
Chong Zhen Yang who scored the winning basket in the game against China said: “We just stayed calm and tried as much as we can to stick to our coach's instructions. We've actually played China quite a few times before and today, I think there was an element of luck as well. We are going to apply the same approach; keep fouls to a minimum and try to keep the opponents to 1-pointers. Our strengths are in speed and accuracy so we'll also need to place extra focus on our defence.”
Singapore (Women’s)
Jermaine Lim shared the team’s strategy after their defeat against Japan: “We were a bit shaken by the speed. It's not something that we usually face, so we were a bit taken aback, and it was hard to get back the rhythm because we made a lot of mistakes. So after the first game, we came back and had a team talk. We removed all memories of the first game and told each other that we are going to focus on defence, hustle, get all the rebounds, go for every loose ball, which is something that we didn't do in the first game. And then offence, just go with the flow, share the ball, and then whatever happens happens, because we can't control offence.”
Thailand (Women’s)
Supavadee Kunchuan summarised her team’s efforts: “I felt that my teammates were just nervous in our previous game and they were adjusting to the new environment. I had a chat with them after the game, and told them to play their game and not worry too much about their surroundings. We are getting better, game by game. Japan is very impressive because they are very quick and skilful. We will need to work on our transitions from defense to offense to ensure we get to make quick shots. We also have to be very cautious with our play.
Main Draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 continues tomorrow at the OCBC Square at The Kallang with the first session of play at 3pm. Children under four years of age enjoy free entry to FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, provided they do not occupy a seat. Ticket prices start from $5 (excluding booking fee).
