[OSEN=서정환 기자] Winning the physically demanding 3×3 basketball game with just three players? The impossible has become a reality.
‘NH Nonghyup Bank 2026 KXO 3×3 Hongcheon SUPER STOP (hereinafter KXO SUPER STOP)’ opened at the Hongcheon Sports Complex on the 7th.
This tournament is an international event with a total of 8 countries and 9 teams participating, including Hongcheon (Korea), Melbourne (Australia), Sagamihara (Japan), Utsunomiya (Japan), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Deqing (China), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong Zeus (Hong Kong), and Jumpshot (Singapore). The U15, Men’s Open, and KXO DIVE 33 were held together, making it a midwinter basketball festival.
This tournament, hosted and supervised by KXO (Korea 3×3 Basketball Federation), Hongcheon-gun (Governor Shin Young-jae), and Hongcheon-gun Sports Council (Chairman Shin Eun-seop), was held on a large scale, with the competition being held on a total of three courts.
In this KXO SUPER STOP, world-class teams such as San Juan, ranked 6th in the world, Melbourne, Utsunomiya, and Jump Shot participated. The audience was also amazed by the high-level performance, which was a level higher than that of domestic players.
Utsunomiya, who had only three players in the final, kissed the championship trophy with a 20-19 victory over San Juan. Suleiman Koulibaly, who led the comeback victory, was selected as MVP.
It was a great match. Utsunomiya was infected with the Yudai Ara coronavirus just before the competition and gave up participating in the competition. Utsunomiya showed impressive fighting spirit by playing all the games with only three people and winning the championship.
In 3×3 basketball, which is extremely physically demanding, having three players play full time without replacement is a disadvantage beyond imagination. However, Utsunomiya overcame the disadvantage with mental strength. In particular, in the final, he created a miracle to turn around a game that had been down by 5 points.
At the beginning of the game, San Juan was likely to win. San Juan, where all four players were Puerto Rican national team members, was strong. All players had evenly matched skills and were physically strong, so they played in much more advantageous situations. San Juan took the win by taking a 10-5 lead.
Utsunomiya did not give up and chased down to 17-18 47 seconds before the end. Although my physical strength was already depleted, I held on with my mental strength. With 16.8 seconds left, Griffin Gerald Byer made two free throws. Griffin pitched both pitches. Utsunomiya succeeded in turning the score around 19-18.
San Juan immediately tied the score at 19-19 with 8.5 seconds left. Yuki’s score was successful in the last attack. San Juan failed to score, and Utsunomiya dramatically won the championship.
After winning, the Utsunomiya players had no time to rejoice. This is because I gave 200% of what I had, including getting cramps in my legs and collapsing from exhaustion. Utsunomiya’s impressive fighting spirit was met with applause from the audience. It was Utsunomiya who truly showed the charm of 3×3 basketball. / jasonseo34@osen.co.kr
date: 2026-02-08 11:16:00
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