The FIBA 3x3 Sukhbaatar Challenger 2026 in Mongolia, on June 23-24, will be a battleground for 16 participating teams to win three tickets to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Lausanne 2026 in Switzerland, on August 14-15.
The eighth Challenger tournament of the season will feature strong teams, including Liman from Serbia, which is one of the main favorites after performing consistently throughout the season.
They are strengthened by their mainstay player Stefan Milivojevic, who is known as one of the most dangerous scorers in the FIBA 3x3 event.
Hosts Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy are also favored to advance. The team will rely on reigning FIBA 3x3 World Cup champion Nauris Miezis to capitalize on their home crowd support and solidify their position among the global elite.
From Japan, Shinagawa CITY EXE is present as a serious competitor with the leadership of experienced player Tomoya Ochiai.
According to organizers, the competition is also heated by Cibona, which is strengthened by Roko Spaseski, and Christchurch BBNZ, which relies on the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup MVP, Te Tuhi Lewis.
Other teams taking part in the competition are Barcelona, Fuengirola, Taipei WanBao, and Kaunas VDU.
Before the main draw, six teams will compete in the qualifying draw, which is divided into two groups, namely Group A and B.
Group A consists of teams Los Angeles (USA), Terelj (Mongolia), and Sejong (South Korea), while Group B is strengthened by Kaunas VDU (Lithuania), Kharkhorum (Mongolia), and Kathmandu (Nepal).
Meanwhile, the main draw is divided into four groups, namely A, B, C, and D. Group A is filled with Liman, Sansar M Bank, and Shinagawa CITY EXE, while group B brings together Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy, Cibona, and Christchurch BBNZ.
Group C consists of Barcelona, Taipei WanBao, and the winner of Group A in the qualifying round. Group D consists of Fuengirola, Shinjuku SS, and the winner of Group B in the qualifying round.
Besides being a battle for tickets to the World Tour Lausanne, the tournament also opens the FIBA 3x3 series in Mongolia, which will be followed by the Women's Series and the World Tour Ulaanbaatar 2026.
