Today, the Baoding Challenger concluded in Baoding, China. Along with $20,000 and a ticket to the Marseille Masters, the newcomers of the season, Shinagawa CITY EXE from Japan, are heading home. The team includes three well-known players in Japan: Ryo Ozawa, Hayate Suzuki, and Slovenian player Jan Demsar – all of whom previously played together on the Japanese tour as part of the team ALPHAS.EXE. For the FIBA 3×3 World Tour 2025, Serbian athlete Dušan Samardžić joined them; he played last season on the World Tour as part of Hangzhou.
Second place went to the Serbian team Liman. The Serbs narrowly missed securing the top spot due to a bit of bad luck. The final against the Japanese opponents was intense – both teams were neck and neck, and in the final seconds, with the scoreboard showing 20:20, the Japanese team Shinagawa CITY EXE snatched victory following the referee’s decision. As a result, the Serbs had to settle for second place and a prize of $15,000.
Third place at the Baoding Challenger went to Miami, who earned $11,000.
Photo: FIBA 3×3