The International Olympic Committee has told news agency the Associated Press that 3-on-3 basketball could possibly be an Olympic sport for the Rio Games in 2016.
The new half-court basketball craze has been a major success in 2012, with FIBA Europe holding events in Russia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania and Great Britain along with several other countries. The IOC is aware of the growing popularity of the sport and is thinking of adding it to the list of events in Brazil in three years time.
3-on-3 basketball debuted at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore with Serbia winning the boys event and China upsetting Australia in the girls version. The overall reception of the tournament was a positive one.
IOC sports director Christophe Dubi told The Associated Press on Monday that the Olympic sports federations have been “extremely creative” with their requests.
Dubi said: “All of them believe that adding something will be fantastic for their sport. We look at it from the other angle: Will that bring, or not, an added value to the Olympic Games?”
A decision on whether 3-on-3 basketball, amongst a host of other sports is used in Rio in three years time will be determined on August 9 in Moscow.
