Singapore’s men’s 3×3 basketball team ended a ten-year-long medal drought for the sport after an impressive campaign led by the quartet of Ching Zhen Yu, Liam Blakney, Nur Aufa Bin Emil Putra and Xu Duanyang at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.
The team clinched silver on Thursday (Dec 11) evening, putting up a spirited fight, but eventually losing 21-18 to hosts Thailand in a tight-contested final.
This was the first time the national cagers medalled in the 3×3 format since its introduction in 2019 and their first medal in the sport since earning a 5×5 bronze on home soil in 2015.
“I believe the most important thing is that we really trusted each other and we had each other’s back no matter what. Despite moments of bad mistakes, we stayed together and trusted our system, coaches and teammates. I believe that was ultimately the most important reason why we won,” Xu said on his side’s feat.
The team opened their run in dominant fashion, sweeping aside Myanmar 21–5 before narrowly falling 18-13 to hosts Thailand. Undeterred, they bounced back on Thursday with a crucial 20-18 victory over Indonesia to clinch a spot in the semi-finals.
In a dramatic final-four showdown, Singapore edged tournament favourites Philippines 21-20 at Nimibutr Stadium to secure a top-two finish and a guaranteed spot on the podium.
“It was definitely a surreal moment. We believed in ourselves despite not many people thinking the same, but we believed in our work for the past two years, and I’m just proud that it showed in that game,” said Xu on his side’s semi-final upset against the 2019 gold medallists.
Xu hopes their achievement can inspire the wider basketball community.
“This silver medal tells us and every basketballer in Singapore that Singapore is not just a participant in international competitions but a contestant. We hope that this serves as motivation for everyone to work harder and help Singapore get better.
“Silver is not our end goal. We hope this tournament motivates us to achieve better results in more competitions in the future.”
One such competition is next March’s FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, where Singapore placed 7th in the last edition after a run to the quarter-finals.
“We hope to achieve results in these tougher international events while continuing to sharpen our skills.”
