Team Nantes’s time to break out at the Poitiers 3x3 Challenger?

POITIERS (France) – Nantes Aderim (FRA) make their official 3x3 pro tour debut with a bunch of familiar names at the Poitiers 3x3 Challenger on July 5-6, 2019.

With Lucas Dussoulier, Dominique Gentil and Charly Pontens, Nantes Aderim feature 3 French 3x3 internationals, who just finished 6th at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019. While Dussoulier and Pontens shined in youth categories (U23 Nations League title last year with MVP trophy for Pontens aka ‘Mr Moustache’),

 

Gentil is the only player with World Tour experience. The man known as ‘Mr Nice’ reached the final of the Lausanne Masters back in 2016.

 

Nantes Aderim are seeded in Pool B with the #2 seed and 16th team in the world, Kranj from Slovenia and the other World Tour newcomers from Cairo, Egypt.

The Poitiers Challenger is the first-ever FIBA 3x3 professional event in France and will bring together 16 teams from 9 different countries.

Among these squads, 4 represent the nucleus of a 3x3 national team. We already mentioned Nantes in Pool B. The #1 seed is Team Piran, who also represented Slovenia at the World Cup 2019 (and lost to France). Simon Finzgar and co will meet Utrecht (NED) and Kragujevac (SRB) in Pool A.

Podgorica Dangerous (MNE) feature 4 Montenegro internationals and will be seeded in Pool C with Tokyo Dime (JPN) and Monaco Riviera (FRA) if they make it out of the Qualifying Draw A.

Last but not least, Lausanne (SUI) have represented Switzerland in all 3x3 national team competitions the last few years. 3x3 rising star Natan Jurkovitz will lead his team in Pool D, which also features Pasig Chooks of the Philippines and the winners of the Qualifying Draw B.

 

The winners in Poitiers put $15,000 USD in the bag and there is $32,000 overall in prize money - a major increase from $20,000 in challengers last year.

The two top teams will earn tickets for the Lausanne Masters on August 23-24 in the 6th stop on this season’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

Liman (SRB) and Princeton (USA) are the only 2 teams who have already earned their ticket to the Olympic capital, based on their Top 8 ranking at the start of the season.

Follow the Poitiers Challenger live on the official FIBA 3x3 YouTube channel:

 

 

Wilson sponsor logo - WT Lausanne 2019
  • Tissot sponsor logo - WT Lausanne 2019