CLB3X3 set to take hoops to the beach and regional areas

Champions League Basketball's reach is set to expand CLB3X3 further after announcing key partnerships with Australian Beach Games and Sports Marketing Australia to bring 3x3 events to cities and regions around Australia.

Hot on the heels of announcing partnerships with PEAK Sport Australia and Wilson Basketball, the new deals are set to enable the shorter form of the game to grow across all levels with an increased number of events.

The Australian Beach Games is an exciting multi-sport festival that brings together sports played on and around the beach, combined with a wide variety of street food, drinks and live entertainment, over one weekend and across five states across the country. With thousands of participants expected at each event, along with tens of thousands of spectators, an exceptionally wide range of sports are on offer to cater for all ages and abilities.

“We saw the Australian Beach Games as an excellent opportunity to really give our 3x3 competitions that next level festival feel… with the already excellent event management in place from Scott Hollow and his team at the Event People, it gave us a chance to really focus on our competitions, the players, the pathway and our set up” said Yvette Williams, Marketing and Events Manager for CLB3X3.

Scott Hollow of Event People, the organiser of the Australian Beach Games, is looking forward to adding 3x3 basketball to the event line-up.

“When we developed the concept of Australian Beach Games, we were really aiming at a festival that combines some of Australia’s favourite pastimes and that allows the entire family to take part”, shared Hollow. "CLB3X3 baketball is a very exciting partnership for us as it’s a game everyone can play, and a very exciting game for spectators to enjoy as well”.

In addition to taking 3x3 basketball to the beach, a three-year partnership with Sports Marketing Australia will enable the Olympic sport to city and regional areas that don’t tend to get a lot of major events or in particular sporting events.

Jason Sleeman of Sports Marketing Australia was excited about the prospect of linking with CLB3X3 and growing the sport nationally.

“Sports Marketing Australia are thrilled to be partnering with Champions League Basketball in placing CLB3X3 tournaments in all of the 46 local councils and tourism organisations we are contracted to nationally. Matt and the team at CLB are a pleasure to work with and always deliver in line with expectations which is critical to our contracted Councils and is the primary reason why SMA have agreed to place CLB3X3 events exclusively.”

“We are really pleased to have aligned with Jason and the team from Sports Marketing Australia," outlined CLB General Manager Matt Hollard. "Providing a service that increases basketball participation as a whole around Australia, and in particular to the regional areas, is something we are really passionate about and can only be seen as a positive and Sports Marketing Australia gives us the support to do that."

The announcements could not be better for the growth of the sport now that it has been included as an Olympic event for the 2020 Tokyo games. With increased profile and access of 3x3 basketball across the country, it provides a platform from which to launch from.

“The timing of this exclusive partnership aligns perfectly with the pathways we are seeing being released at a national level, and with the announcement that 3x3 is now an Olympic sport (Tokyo 2020), we want to see the Australian talent pool reach far and wide.” said CLB Advisor member and former Australian Boomers captain Jason Smith.

The growth of the sport continues this coming week with the 'CLB3X3 Elite vs SEABL' event at the WNBL Cluster Round on Saturday, 25 November from 12 noon. Some of Australia's medalists from the recent 3x3 Asia Cup will be in action, as will the core group from CLB3X3 Townsville who played in the Mongolian Ulanbaatar FIBA 3x3 Challenger event earlier in the year. The event will be live streamed by digital media partner Live Sport Australia.

For a full list of the 2017/2018 CLB3X3 calendar if events, go to clb3x3.com.