FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026: The opening round to determine the 2026 season's world champion is won by "Liman (Serbia)"!
The "FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026" concluded successfully in Utsunomiya, with Liman from Serbia emerging as champions. Hosted for the fifth consecutive year, the event attracted a record-breaking 82,000 spectators, showcasing world-class 3x3 basketball action.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 09:45
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 01:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 01:33 (31 min after Collected)
Cross Sports Marketing Inc., a member of the Xebio Group and participant in the promotion committee, and the Utsunomiya 3x3 City Promotion Committee, which oversees operations, hosted the "FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026," a club team world championship for 3x3 basketball, from April 24th (Friday) to 26th (Sunday) at the Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine Approach and Bamba Citizens' Plaza.
### The opening round (Opener) of the world's premier 3x3 tour returns to Utsunomiya for the 5th consecutive year! A record 82,000 spectators gather, mesmerized by world-class play.
The world's highest level of 3x3 competition returned to Utsunomiya for the fifth consecutive year as the "Opener" of the season, starting in 2022.
Leading the lineup on this grand stage were strong contenders from around the world, ranked highly in the FIBA 3x3 team rankings, including Amsterdam (Netherlands), who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Miami (USA), who have won the "Utsunomiya Opener" two years in a row, and the absolute reigning champions Ub (Serbia), who have triumphed in numerous world tournaments. The local Utsunomiya team, "Utsunomiya (UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE)," participated as the host city's entry. Additionally, Japanese teams "Shinagawa (SHINAGAWA CITY.EXE)" and "Hiratsuka (SHONAN SEASIDE.EXE)" competed in the Qualifying Draw for a spot in the main tournament. After the opening ceremony on April 24th (Friday), the ceremonial opening round "Opener" to determine the 2026 season's club team world champion began on the following day, April 25th (Saturday).
The final day, April 26th (Sunday), featured the final tournament involving eight teams that had advanced from the round-robin qualifying matches. Amidst intense competition where any team could have emerged victorious, the final match was set between Liman (Serbia) and Skyliners (Germany). Liman (Serbia) demonstrated stable play, taking control from the outset. Andrej Milutinovic scored the opening points immediately, followed by Mihailo Vasic and Djordje Simeunovic sinking two-point shots, extending their lead early in the game.
Liman steadily accumulated points towards the end, with Andrej Milutinovic scoring the 21st point to secure the game. Liman (Serbia) won 21-15, claiming their first Utsunomiya Opener title.
The MVP award went to Andrej Milutinovic (No.3) of Liman (Serbia). He recorded 33 points in 5 games over two days, ranking second overall in player value. He contributed significantly to the victory, including scoring 11 points in the quarterfinals against the defending champions Miami (USA).
### Utsunomiya (UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE) fought representing their hometown. They played well against Shanghai (China) but were unfortunately eliminated in the qualifiers.
"Utsunomiya," participating as the host city team, appeared at the opening ceremony held on April 24th (Friday). They expressed their joy and enthusiasm for challenging this world tournament again this year.
On April 25th (Saturday), Utsunomiya competed in Group C. Their first opponent, Amsterdam (Netherlands), was a strong team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In the first half, they maintained a tough defense, but couldn't stop Maarten Bouwknecht's two-point shots and lost 9-21. The match against Shanghai (China) was crucial for advancing to Day 2. In the early stages, both teams exchanged points in a close battle, but in the middle of the game, Coulibaly Solomon, who also played for Japan in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, initiated drives to score, putting Utsunomiya ahead. However, Shanghai (China) steadily accumulated points thereafter, and despite strong local support aiming for a comeback, Utsunomiya fell short, losing 17-20. Nevertheless, as Yuya Ara mentioned at the opening ceremony the day before, their gritty play throughout the match electrified the venue, and after the game, numerous applause and "GO BREX" calls resonated.
Also, on April 25th (Saturday), a qualifying draw was held for the last spot in Main Tournament Group D. Teams from Japan, "Shinagawa (SHINAGAWA CITY.EXE)" and "Hiratsuka (SHONAN SEASIDE.EXE)," along with "Taipe" from Chinese Taipei, participated in the qualifying draw.
### The opening round (Opener) of the world's premier 3x3 tour returns to Utsunomiya for the 5th consecutive year! A record 82,000 spectators gather, mesmerized by world-class play.
The world's highest level of 3x3 competition returned to Utsunomiya for the fifth consecutive year as the "Opener" of the season, starting in 2022.
Leading the lineup on this grand stage were strong contenders from around the world, ranked highly in the FIBA 3x3 team rankings, including Amsterdam (Netherlands), who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Miami (USA), who have won the "Utsunomiya Opener" two years in a row, and the absolute reigning champions Ub (Serbia), who have triumphed in numerous world tournaments. The local Utsunomiya team, "Utsunomiya (UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE)," participated as the host city's entry. Additionally, Japanese teams "Shinagawa (SHINAGAWA CITY.EXE)" and "Hiratsuka (SHONAN SEASIDE.EXE)" competed in the Qualifying Draw for a spot in the main tournament. After the opening ceremony on April 24th (Friday), the ceremonial opening round "Opener" to determine the 2026 season's club team world champion began on the following day, April 25th (Saturday).
The final day, April 26th (Sunday), featured the final tournament involving eight teams that had advanced from the round-robin qualifying matches. Amidst intense competition where any team could have emerged victorious, the final match was set between Liman (Serbia) and Skyliners (Germany). Liman (Serbia) demonstrated stable play, taking control from the outset. Andrej Milutinovic scored the opening points immediately, followed by Mihailo Vasic and Djordje Simeunovic sinking two-point shots, extending their lead early in the game.
Liman steadily accumulated points towards the end, with Andrej Milutinovic scoring the 21st point to secure the game. Liman (Serbia) won 21-15, claiming their first Utsunomiya Opener title.
The MVP award went to Andrej Milutinovic (No.3) of Liman (Serbia). He recorded 33 points in 5 games over two days, ranking second overall in player value. He contributed significantly to the victory, including scoring 11 points in the quarterfinals against the defending champions Miami (USA).
### Utsunomiya (UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE) fought representing their hometown. They played well against Shanghai (China) but were unfortunately eliminated in the qualifiers.
"Utsunomiya," participating as the host city team, appeared at the opening ceremony held on April 24th (Friday). They expressed their joy and enthusiasm for challenging this world tournament again this year.
On April 25th (Saturday), Utsunomiya competed in Group C. Their first opponent, Amsterdam (Netherlands), was a strong team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In the first half, they maintained a tough defense, but couldn't stop Maarten Bouwknecht's two-point shots and lost 9-21. The match against Shanghai (China) was crucial for advancing to Day 2. In the early stages, both teams exchanged points in a close battle, but in the middle of the game, Coulibaly Solomon, who also played for Japan in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, initiated drives to score, putting Utsunomiya ahead. However, Shanghai (China) steadily accumulated points thereafter, and despite strong local support aiming for a comeback, Utsunomiya fell short, losing 17-20. Nevertheless, as Yuya Ara mentioned at the opening ceremony the day before, their gritty play throughout the match electrified the venue, and after the game, numerous applause and "GO BREX" calls resonated.
Also, on April 25th (Saturday), a qualifying draw was held for the last spot in Main Tournament Group D. Teams from Japan, "Shinagawa (SHINAGAWA CITY.EXE)" and "Hiratsuka (SHONAN SEASIDE.EXE)," along with "Taipe" from Chinese Taipei, participated in the qualifying draw.