British Basketball appoints 3x3 Head Coaches as part of key programme developments
Afiz Olaniyan and Krumesh Patel have been appointed respectively as Great Britain’s Senior 3x3 Men’s and Women’s Head Coaches to lead their teams during a time of significant growth and transformation for the sport in the UK.
They will work alongside Hannah Shaw, the newly recruited 3x3 Programme Manager, in the establishment of a world class programme designed with the ambition of success in international competitions and on the Olympic stage.
British Basketball received a funding boost from UK Sport in December 2024 to support the building of the 3x3 programme.This season will see advancement in key areas including staffing, training camps and competitions, the development of the ‘GB Way’ and the provision of individual player support through tailored coaching and sport science to maximise performance.
Olaniyan and Patel will meet with their selected players later this month as they look ahead to an exciting summer which will see the men competing for the first time in the World Cup qualifiers after they finished in the top eight of the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup in Austria last year.This season the women will compete in the FIBA Women’s Series, creating another first for the programme.
Both the men and women will be in action in the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup qualifiers in Slovakia in June, targeting places in the finals which take place in Denmark in September.
Having won the EuroCup as Assistant Coach of the Women’s London Lions last year, Patel has already experienced international success. Athinaikos WBC, the Greek team of which Patel is the Lead Assistant Coach, have qualified for European competition for 2026 and currently sit near the top of their competitive league.Patel is familiar with the GB set up having coached the U18 Women’s team in 5v5 and last season led the coaching of the Women’s 3x3 team.In this first season of a formalised 3x3 programme, Patel is well positioned to build on the foundations which were laid last year.
Olaniyan was Head Coach of the 3x3 U23 Men in 2024 as well as Assistant Coach for the Senior Men’s side who reached the quarter finals of the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup. He was also Head Coach of the London Warriors who are currently Britain’s most internationally successful non-professional 3x3 team.These previous roles provide valuable experience as he continues to facilitate the identification and development of playing talent, while working closely with the performance staff of all GB 3x3 teams to ensure unity and progression for all involved.
The vision for the 3x3 programme centres on continuity and collaboration across the men, women and U23 teams which is underpinned by the ‘GB Way’.This principle extends to the operation of both 5v5 and 3x3, ensuring both forms of the game are aligned, and is key to ensuring that British Basketball fulfils its potential.An understanding of the GB Way ensures structured development for players; it covers philosophies, style of play and performance standards to create a clear British Basketball identity and culture.
The recruitment of high-quality personnel into key positions, a structured season of camps and competitions and the creation of a wider support structure for players are big developments in the activation of our plans. The UK Sport funding has provided us with the resource needed to take these steps. We have a long-term strategic vision for 3x3 which leads towards Olympic ambitions and this season will provide us with key learnings for the players and performance staff as we expose our teams to new opportunities and levels of competition.Fiona Pimblett, GB Basketball Performance Lead
The format of 3x3 means that federation ranking is driven by individual player rankings which can be increased through playing frequency and success in competition both with national and professional teams.
For the men, FIBA 3x3 tournaments are graded from LiteQuests through to the World Tour Circuit which consists of Masters and Challengers – positions on this are obtained through qualifiers and team rankings.The design is intended to make all levels accessible to players through the possibility of progression and more points are earned the higher the level of competition.
Great Britain Men will have players competing across the hierarchy of tournaments with players featuring on the professional FIBA World Tour for the first time with London 3x3. The team was created by GB 3x3 player Ashley Hamilton, who helped secure the top eight FIBA Europe Cup Finish in 2024, and former GB player, Alice Hamilton. Their team has the endorsement of GB Basketball with the London 3x3 team's next upcoming Challenger in Suhkbataar May 31, 2025 - Jun 1, 2025. The performance team, including Olaniyan, will provide individual support for the representative GB players throughout the season.
Manchester 3x3 has been set up by GB Basketball to create further playing opportunities for players.It will begin by competing in the LiteQuest in Panevėžys in Lithuania with the goal of progressing further through the levels throughout the season, developing the players through performance and accumulating ranking points for the individuals, and therefore GB.
The FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series compromises both professional and national teams. GB Women will compete at various stops, including Edmonton in Canada and Lanzarote.
Pimblett added, ‘3x3 is a fast-growing sport, highlighted by the recent news that Olympic qualifying spots have been increased from eight to twelve to give more teams the opportunity to compete on the ultimate stage.
‘We are excited to see the women step onto the FIBA Women’s Series for the first time and to form a professional team in Manchester while supporting the endeavours of London 3x3.We believe the profile of our talent pool across men and women is well suited to the 3x3 format of the game and our top eight finish in Europe for the men last season is an indication of what we are capable of.
‘It is going to be a significant season as we build the programme – learning and growing in the intricacies of 3x3 so that we can continue working towards our Olympic goals.’
Key 2025 Dates for GB 3x3
- 24-25th May - World Cup Qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan (Senior Men, qualification through the 2024 FIBA Europe Cup)
- 7-8th June - Europe Cup Qualifiers in Bratislava, Slovakia (Senior Men and Women)
- U23 Nations League (U23 Men and Women)
Stop 1,2,3 – 11-13th July in Bucharest, Romania
Stop 4,5,6 – 25-27th July in Szolnok, Hungary - 18th-27th July European Youth Olympic Festival, Skopje North Macedonia (U18 Women)
- Various dates between May-September – FIBA Women’s Series
- Various dates between April -Novembers – FIBA Men’s Professional Circuit