Top 3×3 basketball teams from all over the world will meet on 15 and 16 of August at the fourth edition of Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Challenger.
The road to Abu Dhabi, where will take place the biggest event of the year, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final, will pass also through Bucharest, where 16 teams from 12 countries will try to take home the crown, the 4000 USD prize and the spot in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Lausanne.
From Lausanne, both finalists will qualify to FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in Abu Dhabi, organized this year by the Romanian promoter Sport Arena.
The 3×3 European Champions, Angel Santana and Vasile Stefan will play together with Virgil Stanescu, former Euroleague player and captain of the Romanian 5on5 national team.
The last year’s Bucharest Challenger champions, Palo Peak Malaga will come back to Bucharest to defend their title, searching again to a qualification to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour.
For the first time in the history of Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Challenger, a team from overseas will come to play. Sao Paolo DC, also a World Tour team will bring the samba on the courts placed in the iconic University Square from Bucharest.
Serious contenders are also teams Ognezaschita St. Petersburg, recent winners of Moscow Open, a qualifier to FIBA 3×3 World Tour Prague and Ranch Belgrade, qualified to Bucharest from Basket Bam Banja Luka satellite tournament. Both teams played in Prague last weekend, but didn’t manage to qualify for the World Tour Final and they are searching for new opportunities.
The event will be spiced up by the Dracula’s Girls cheerleaders, European silver medalists and also by the dance crew from the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities.
Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Challenger is organized by Sport Arena and ACS Sport Promotion with the support of Raiffeisen Bank, Vodafone, Red Bull, Directorate for Youth and Sports Bucharest and basketball club Steaua CSM EximBank, 2015-2016 Eurocup participant.