3 on 3 basketball comp a slam dunk

CHAMPIONS League three-on-three basketball came to town last weekend with junior and open division events tipping off at Bendigo Stadium.

General manager of CLB Matt Hollard said the half-court tournaments are being held across Australia in hopes of growing the game.

“We engage with local councils to bring what is a new sport to the local region,” he said. “The idea is to build up the sport here and play it a lot more regularly than just one event.”

Last Sunday’s basketball showcase included under 13, under 15s and the open social division.

Some teams were forced to pull out on the day due to COVID-19 related issues, but spectator Brett Parkes said it’s good to be back watching the teams after two interrupted years of local sport.

“I reckon it’s great for the kids that are into sport to connect with other kids,” he said. “It’s good to see from a health and fitness point of view as well.”

However, there’s no doubt the biggest winners from the return to sport are junior athletes.

“For our son he’s really pleased to be back playing basketball after such a long time without playing sport outside of the backyard,” Mr Parkes said

Making the trip from Echuca, Susan Sutton said her son and his teammates were excited to be back on court again.

She said the children on the team would be willing to drive for hours to play basketball.

“It’s very good and the kids love being back and playing sport,” she said.

“The boys would travel for hours for basketball, no matter where it is just as long as they’re playing it’s good to be here. The stadium is great.”

As the game continues to grow, more and more people are looking to three-on-three style of basketball as a fun alternative to its full court cousin.

Mr Hollard said three-on-three provides players a space to explore their creativity in the game and develop their skills.

“We find it brings out a lot of skills and talents you wouldn’t normally see on a five-on-five court because they’re allowed to play their natural game,” he said.