All roads to Vienna for 3×3 men

Great Britain arrives in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Thursday, eager to take some big-name scalps when the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup begins.

The men qualified for the prestigious tournament in June, securing three wins on the final day of qualifying, highlighted by a 21-19 win over established 3×3 nation Israel.

The same four that booked GB’s ticket to the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup – Ashley Hamilton, Evan Walshe, Hafeez Abdul, and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye – will take to the court on Thursday as the team prepares to face Latvia and France in Pool D.

With confidence building, Abdul is adamant that despite being the lowest-ranked side and playing the best teams in the world, they want to make the world know that Great Britain is an established nation in this format.

“We aren’t here to make up numbers,” Abdul said. “GB got here by beating some of the best teams in 3X3, and now we’re aiming to do it again. We know what these other nations bring to the table, and we’re up to the challenge.”

They don’t come much tougher than France. Fresh off collecting silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, they narrowly lost in the gold medal game against the Netherlands and will be keen to bounce back.

GB follows that up with a clash against Latvia, a team they’ve played before in the qualifiers, and they will know all about them heading into Vienna.

The Latvians narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 3X3 tournament at the Olympics, losing to Lithuania in the bronze medal game.

“They have world-class 3X3 players, but the game isn’t played on paper or based on reputation. We’re looking forward to causing some upsets,” Abdul said.

Unquestionably, Great Britain earned the right to be at the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup, representing a full circle moment for GB 3X3 Consultant Programme Manager Martin Dyan.

An expert in this format, Dyan has worked tirelessly to promote the sport. Overseeing Great Britain’s progress to this tournament behind the scenes means everything.

“Through the hard work and determination of the players and staff this summer, we’ve earned our spot in this week’s FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup Finals,” Dyan said.

“It’s the best of the best out there, and we’re looking forward to competing.

“Hopefully, people recognise and appreciate the talent we have in the UK, and what we do inspires others to play the game and engage with 3X3 even more.”

The full schedule of play can be found here. The first game against France is at 11:25 a.m. BST.

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