18.06.2024.

Serbia to host 3rd CISM World Military 3x3 Basketball Championship

The 3rd CISM World Military 3x3 Basketball Championship starts in Novi Sad tomorrow, with16 men’s and 12 women’s teams from 20 member states of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) participating.

Announcing the World Military Basketball Championship at today’s conference, the head of the Serbian delegation to the CISM, Colonel Assoc. Prof. Negovan Ivanković, said that it was an honour to organize such a competition in our country.

- CISM member nations from all over the world will be competing in this prestigious military sporting event. The Serbian delegation to the CISM, the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces have organized this competition sponsored by the Provincial Secretariat for Sports and Youth of Vojvodina, the basketball federations of Serbia and Vojvodina, and the City of Novi Sad. I would like to thank everyone who has helped organize such a large, military sporting event - said Colonel Ivanković.

Matches will be played over the next two days and after the elimination round, the final matches will be played, he announced.

- Our country is indeed traditionally devoted to 3x3 basketball. Considering that the General Secretariat and CISM have given us, the quintuple 3x3 world champions, the tremendous honour of hosting such a great event, I can say that Serbia has been recognized for everything we have done to achieve the goals of CISM, an organization that seeks to promote friendship through sport globally - said Colonel Ivanković.

According to the official representative of the CISM General Secretariat and a member of the CISM Board of Directors, Major General Oleg Botsman from the Russian Armed Forces, the organization's motto "Friendship through Sport" is a basic principle that everyone in the organization firmly believes in.

- The championship, which is being held in Serbia this year, is an indicator showing that we stick to the basic principle - friendship through sport. I would like to thank the Ministry of Defence and the City of Novi Sad, which have co-organized this big and important event, thereby showing that they appreciate sport and the young people who play it - said Major General Botsman. According to him, it does not matter who will win or lose, what matters is the fact that events like this are organized.

The president of the CISM Sports Committee Basketball, Colonel Tom Bellairs from the U.S. Armed Forces, extended his thanks to the organizers for hosting the championship, emphasizing that it was a great challenge to organize such a big event.

- This year we have 20 countries coming from all around the world, which shows the dedication of the organizers, the City of Novi Sad, the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Defence, and it also shows the dedication to CISM and the principles of “Friendship through Sport”. And I also want to say I am very impressed with Serbia, Novi Sad and the sports facilities where the championship will be held. I expect the competitors will have a wonderful time here – said Colonel Bellairs.

Deputy Mayor of Novi Sad and member of the Organizing Committee, Igor Crnobarac, said he was happy to have helped organize this sports event.

- I would like to convey the joy and pride the City feels for having been chosen again to host this major international sports event, which will bring top competitors from all over the world, who are also military personnel, to Novi Sad over the next two days. I would also like to highlight this event’s motto – “Friendship through Sport” amid global turmoil and geopolitical turbulence that are taking place all around the world today - said Igor Crnobarac.