Stage set for the first 3x3 basketball nationals

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is all set to launch the first 3x3 national basketball championship for senior men and women at the Thayagaraj Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, on Wednesday.
For the first national championship in this shorter version of the game, a future Olympic discipline, 22 men and 16 women teams from across the country will vie for the top honours. The two-day event begins at 9 am on Wednesday while the knock-out stage of the championship including the final matches will be played on Thursday.
Around 70 matches are slated to be played during the two days of the event while the BFI is geared to conduct these championships, evolving the concept of carnival with festivity and sports centric environment. 3x3 is a basketball game played with 3 players on each team on a half court, with one basket. Being played on a half court two games can be conducted on single court simultaneously which makes the format cost effective as only four players per team and a referee are required to compete in a 10-minute tie.
From the nationals, eight top players in both the men and women section will be picked to represent India at Asian Championships. The first 3x3 Asian tourney for men is slated to be held at Doha from May 15 to 17.
Matches will be played in a league cum knock-out format. In the men’s section the participating teams are divided in 5 pools while women teams have been divided in 4 pools. The groups are made by the draw of lots.