NEW DELHI: Following the positive response to the recently concluded third season of 3×3 Pro Basketball League (3BL), the number of women’s teams is all set to double for the next season.
The third season of 3BL, which is backed by the the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA), was held in Chandigarh Mohali from 8th to 21st March and saw participation from leading national and international men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball players.
3BL Season 3 featured 12 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams.
A post-season press conference was held here Wednesday, conducted by 3BL commissioner Rohit Bakshi and Prerna Sharma Bakshi, director of YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd., which owns the ‘3BL’ intellectual property. Also in attendance was the 3BL Season 3 women’s champion team Delhi Divas (women).
“We are delighted with the competitive fire with which all teams, especially women, participated. In a conscious endeavor to bring parity and enhance inclusion, come 3BL Season 4, we will be doubling the number of women’s teams from six to 12,” Mrs Prerna Sharma said. “With this move, we carry on our relentless push to provide equal opportunities and acknowledge the love for basketball among Indian female athletes.”
“From the next 3BL season onwards, the number of women’s teams will be the same as the men. This will add to the growing list of Indian women’s players registered on the FIBA 3×3 portal and continue to drive up the Indian women’s ranking to bring it on par with men,” Mrs Prerna Sharma said.
3BL Women’s League Champion team to compete in Asian 3×3 Cup
Delhi Divas were crowned the champions of the second season of the Women’s League that was held alongside the third season of the Men’s League. Delhi Divas captain Raspreet Sidhu was named the women’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 3BL Season 3.
“Delhi Divas will be joining men’s runners up Ahmedabad Wingers, at the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) 3×3 Cup in Indonesia. I am proud to be the owner of Delhi Divas and we will support our team to win the Championship title in ABL as we did in 3BL Season 3,” Mrs Prerna Sharma said.
The upcoming ABL 3×3 Cup will be held in Bali, Indonesia on 16-17 April, and Delhi Divas’ participation will mark the first time that an Indian women’s basketball club team is competing in an international competition.
Live broadcast on Sony LIV
Top Indian men’s and women’s team stars from across the country, including Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (Arjuna Awardee and captain of the men’s national team), Anitha Pauldurai (Padma Shri), Geethu Anna Rahul (Arjuna Awardee), Raspreet Sidhu (Delhi), Amritpal Singh (Punjab), Palpreet Singh (ex-NBA player), Princepal Singh (ex-NBA player), Lalrina Renthlei (Mizoram) and Stephy Nixon (Kerala), to name just a few, were seen in action across 18 total franchises (12 men’s and 6 women’s).
All games were broadcast live on Sony LIV. Additionally, special weekly programming documenting the entire 3BL Season 3, is currently being aired on Sony SIX. The first two episodes of the ‘3BL Show’ were telecast last weekend, and the remaining four episodes will be broadcast on 2-3 & 9-10 April between 7-8pm.
“We want to make stars out of Indian basketball players. For the first time in Season 3, besides regular streaming on the official 3BL and FIBA 3×3 platforms, all games were broadcast live on Sony LIV,” Mrs Prerna Sharma highlighted.
“The ‘3BL Show’ on Sony Six is our added attempt at introducing the general sporting community to the specific rules of 3×3 basketball and what makes it different from the traditional 5-on-5 format,” she added.
BFI secretary-general Chander Mukhi Sharma said: “I congratulate the organizers of 3BL Mr Rohit Bakshi and his team, who successfully conducted this championship where he provided opportunity to the Indian as well as the foreign players to play here. It will definitely give us a great opportunity for the Indian players if these type of activities are regularly conducted in the country. Moreover after this, the winners and runners up will get a chance to play in the World Tour. So our players will get good experience.”
Men’s FIBA 3×3 ranking jumps up to 15
Thanks to participation in 3BL Season 3, the Indian Men’s FIBA 3×3 ranking, in particular, has seen a spectacular jump from 70th to 15th.
“We need to not only maintain our FIBA 3×3 World ranking, but also improve to be among the top 4 by 31st October 2023, to ensure both our men and women’s teams qualify to the 2024 Paris Olympics,” Mrs. Prerna Sharma said. “Even though 3BL Season 3 has been successfully completed, we are planning a number of other exciting activities throughout the year until we return with 3BL Season 4 next year. These new endeavours will be announced in due course.”
Highlights
• Six new Women’s Teams to be introduced in 3BL Season 4, bringing parity with Men
• 3BL 2022 Women’s Champion Delhi Divas earn a slot to the Asian Basketball League 3X3 at Bali in April 2022, marking a historic first for Indian women’s basketball
• 3BL making basketball an attractive career choice in India through player salaries, live broadcast of games on Sony, cash prizes and further international competition
• 3BL nurturing Indian basketball’s Olympic dreams by ensuring highest ever FIBA 3×3 World Rankings
• Basketball Federation of India Secretary General Mr Chander Mukhi Sharma lauds 3BL’s pioneering efforts
• 3×3 Pro Basketball League (3BL) is India’s first and only professional league authorized by Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
