Pacific talent powers the rise of 3x3 basketball

Some of the Pacific’s most promising 3x3 basketball players came together at the FIBA Oceania 3x3 High Performance Camp on the Gold Coast in May 2026, keen to test themselves, learn from one another, and develop their game in one of the world's fastest-growing sports.

Originally emerging from street basketball culture in the United States, the 3x3 format has experienced extraordinary growth over the past decade, making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 before arriving at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. With smaller squads and a shorter, faster format, the 3x3 game has opened up new opportunities for nations across Oceania to compete and excel internationally.

The camp was delivered as part of the GAPS (Gather, Adjust, Prepare, Sustain) program. Led by Commonwealth Sport and Griffith University, with support from PacificAus Sports, GAPS has been supporting the region’s able-bodied and para-athletes in the lead-up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, delivering a range of high-performance training initiatives and competition experience.

Gearing up for Glasgow

Female athletes, coaches and referees from Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu took part in the 3x3 High Performance Camp, supported by PacificAus Sports in collaboration with FIBA Oceania, the Australian Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Australia, Commonwealth Sport Oceania, Griffith University and the City of Gold Coast.

The athletes split their days between the classroom and the court, refining their decision-making, teamwork and game awareness, and learning about physical and mental wellbeing and recovery. Coaches and referees took part in officiating workshops, skills sessions and professional assessments designed to strengthen their expertise and support their ongoing development within the sport.

For players from Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, the camp was an important step on the road to Glasgow, where the women's 3x3 competition will expand from the eight-team tournament of the inaugural Birmingham event, to 12 teams.

Building momentum across the region

But the excitement surrounding the 3x3 format extends well beyond the Gold Coast camp. 

In June 2026, New Caledonia hosted teams from Fiji, Tonga and Solomon Islands in the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League. Strong performances from Tonga in both the men’s and the women’s competition saw both teams qualify for the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup to be held in China later this year. 

The regional momentum has been supported in recent years by the partnership between FIBA Oceania and PacificAus Sports and joint initiatives including the FIBA 3x3 High Performance Development Program for Oceania.

FIBA Oceania Executive Director Amanda Jenkins said the goal was to grow every part of the game across the region.

“The aim … is really to help promote and grow the 3x3 discipline in the region,” she said. “How do we help prepare our coaches [and] referees? And then how do we get the athletes excited and prepare them for a future as elite athletes?”

Cook Islands coach Jordina Katu, who attended one of the 3x3 development camps in 2025, said bringing Pacific participants together in a shared learning environment had lasting benefits.

“We do have talent in the Pacific, we just need the support structure,” she said.

Together, these camps and competition opportunities are helping Pacific athletes, coaches, referees and sporting organisations build the experience, relationships and confidence to take the sport forward.

As 3x3 basketball continues to grow, Pacific nations are showing they have the talent, ambition and leadership to contribute to the game’s future — from this year’s Commonwealth Games to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.