Geelong basketball events tip off in April

GEELONG is gearing up to host a weekend of basketball when 3x3Hustle rolls into town with two separate events.

The basketball organisation will tip off on Geelong Waterfront on April 13 by teaming up with Special Olympics Australia and Koorie Academy for an activation.

Along with sessions from the two groups, there will also be a DJ, MC and food trucks at the event.

3X3Hustle product manager Shubh Agarwal said the activation is all about getting people involved in the sport and playing basketball.

“The idea is that they come in and grab a bite to eat or just have fun and watch some basketball, even play, it’s engaging kids and people into sport and bringing the NBL brand out there for people,” he said.

“This event is sponsored by the Geelong council, so it’s a way to support them, give them an opportunity to present what they’ve got with the beautiful waterfront and the areas around there.”

Action will continue into the weekend at the Geelong Arena for the 3x3Hustle Junior National Championships, starting from April 14 and running until April 16.

Clubs from around the country with a 3X3 licence are invited to the competition, with state qualifier events also held before the championships.

“This is an opportunity for all those licensees to send their top teams to Geelong to take part in the best team among all of our licensees,” Mr Agarwal said. “We’ll have teams from across the country travelling down to Geelong to take part in a three-day championship.”

Under-12s and under-14s will battle it out on the court on April 14 and 15, with the under-16s and under-18s playing on April 15 and 16.

The community is invited to head to the activation and championships in support of the competitors.

“These kids are eventually going to take part and participate in international events or represent Australia; supporting them now is the biggest opportunity we’ve got,” Mr Agarwal said.

For more information, head to 3x3hustle.com .