Doha prepares for exciting FIBA 3x3 All Stars event

DOHA: A four-member Doha side will be pitted against the world’s best in the first ever FIBA 3x3 All Stars event to be held in the Qatari capital on December 12.
The one-day event will feature six teams - including one from the host country - to compete for a whopping overall prize bag of $120,00 at Katara 
Beach.
Besides home team ‘Doha’, the event has attracted the highest ranked players in Americas, Europe and the rest of the world.
The field will be completed with a guest team, organisers Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) said yesterday.
“Doha will be represented by Khalid Suliman Abdi, Mohammed Seleem Abdulla, Yaseen Musa and Boney Watson,” a QBF official said.
“On top of a premium quality 3x3 tournament, the crowd which comes in for the games will also get to watch one of the best dunk contests in the world,” the official added while giving details of the event.
Top players like Rafał ‘Lipek’ Lipiński, Dmitry ‘Smoove’ Krivenko and Kristaps ‘Latvian Sensation’ Dargais will contest the ‘dunk’ contest.
Doha will take on Japan’s Nagoya in the first match followed by their encounter against Brezovica of Slovenia.
“We saw great crowds when we staged the first FIBA Asia 3x3 Champions for Men and Women earlier this year in May,” the QBF official said.
Qatar won the men’s title whereas India powered to the women’s crown at Villaggio 
Mall.
The top four sides in the event will qualify for the semi-finals followed by the title clash scheduled to start at 
7:00pm.
The world body - FIBA - uses the 3x3 format to attract young fans to basketball which is one of the most popular disciplines at the Olympic Games.
Similar 3x3 events were also staged at City Centre and Katara earlier this year with each championship drawing huge crowds.
A day after the event, QBF will organise two more championships - ‘3x3 Clubs Tournament for Men’ 
and ‘Doha Jam’. 
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