MIBF pushes back 3×3 Hoopfest opening

In this file photo, Ace Hardware’s Brady Hammond blocks GPPC’s Gerald Laguimdam during the fourth quarter of their game in the Emon Lodge caging last Sunday at the Civic Center Basketball Court. The Civic Center court will be the venue for the finals of the Mariana Islands Basketball Federation’s 3×3 Hoopfest. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Mariana Islands Basketball Federation moved the inaugural 3×3 Hoopfest from August to next month to give Saipan, Tinian, and Rota separate tournaments before the finals set in the last week of September.

The tournament was originally scheduled for Aug. 25 to 27 with Tinian and Rota teams coming over to Saipan to compete. Organizers, however, chose to divide it into three stages with the Top 2 teams on Tinian and Rota qualifying for the final round.

The Saipan leg will be held from Sept. 5 to 9 with the first round of games to be played at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Tinian and Rota will then have their respective tournaments in the second and third week of September.

Organizers are waiting which between Tinian and Rota would schedule their games on the second and third week of September. The finals, where all teams that qualified will be competing, will be on Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at the Civic Center Basketball Court.

A maximum of 12 teams in each division—U16 and U19 boys’ and girls’, and men’s and women’s open—or a total of 72 is the limit allowed to participate in the respective qualifying tournaments.

Tournament fee is $50 with each team having three players and one substitute. Prizes and awards will be given away to the winning squads.

The champions in the open division of the 3×3 tournament will represent the CNMI in the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu this December.

Teams that plan to compete must first register at 3x3planet.com to create a FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball or International Basketball Federation) 3×3 player profile.

MIBF is encouraging teams—captain and players—to attend a dry run or exhibition on Aug. 19 from 9am to 12pm at the Ada Gym. Tournament organizers will be explaining the FIBA rules and assist the players with the registration process if they have trouble registering online.

Teams would then be allowed to play some exhibition games once the rules and other regulations are explained. The matches would also serve as a training and instructional tool for the referees and table officials of the tournament.

MIBF said the winning team in the open division must meet the eligibility requirements set by the Pacific Games Council. “Should the team that wins not meet the eligibility criteria, the next best team that meets the qualifying criteria will get to represent the CNMI. The prizes and awards will remain with the winning team though.”

As per council regulations, athletes who are passport holders of the country they are representing must have a minimum of five years residency in all sports excluding football, netball, Rugby 7s, and weightlifting, which would follow eligibility rules by their respective international federations.

The 10th edition of the quadrennial Mini Games will be held from Dec. 4 to 15 in Port Vila with 3×3 basketball among the 14 sports to be played.

The CNMI will also be competing in athletics, golf, and Rugby 7s while the local weightlifting federation is studying the possibility of competing.

For more information, contact MIBF officials Preston Basa at 989-2516 or email pbasa03@gmail.com or Elias Rangamar at 287-6347 or email eli_rag@yahoo.com.