Jointly organized by the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and StarMac Entertainment & Production Limited, with additional support from the Macau-China Basketball Association (MCBA) and the Chai Yu Sports Events Company as well as sponsorship from Wynn Resorts (Macau), S.A., the “Wynn Presents – 3×3 Greater Bay Area Tour 2024” basketball tournament successfully took place from September to October in five cities across the Greater Bay Area – Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Hengqin, Guangzhou, and Macao, with three thrilling days of final matches also held in Macao. The Macao finals featured a total of 32 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams, with the winner of the men’s category earning a coveted spot in the FIBA 3×3 WORLD TOUR MACAU 2024.
Sanctioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), this year’s tournament, with a prize pool exceeding MOP800,000, was upgraded to a Quest competition which attracted more professional players such as Tokyo Olympic Games gold medalist Agnisavars and silver medalists Stanislav Sharov and Alexander Zuev. Following the ceremonial kickoff, BIONARD WOLF UNITED with players Sharov and Zuev, competed against Team Hong Kong which featured avars, in the opening match.
After the opening match on October 11, more round-robin games for both the men’s and women’s groups of the 3×3 Greater Bay Area Tour 2024 took place at the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Tap Seac Square across two days. Then on the final day – October 13 – the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals were held at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in Macao.
BIONARD WOLF UNITED clinched the men’s title and TongJia JianShe won the women’s title in a thrilling series of matches on October 13. On the heels of their victory, BIONARD WOLF UNITED have now secured a place in the FIBA 3×3 WORLD TOUR MACAU 2024, the top men’s 3×3 basketball circuit organized by FIBA, which is scheduled for October 19-20.
The tournament concluded with a trophy ceremony, where prize cheques ranging from MOP10,000 to MOP100,000 were awarded to the top four teams in both the men’s and women’s categories. Guests attending the award ceremony included Mr. Luís Gomes,President of the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Mr. Lou Kit Long, CEO of StarMac Entertainment & Production Limited; Ms. Linda Chen, President, Vice Chairman, and Executive Director of Wynn Macau, Limited; Mr. Wu Chong Fai, President of the Macau-China Basketball Association; Mr. Chan Chak Mo, Secretary General of the Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau, China; as well as a number of sports committee members and sponsors.
The goal of this year’s “Wynn Presents – 3×3 Greater Bay Area Tour 2024” event, was to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of Macao Special Administration Region; better showcase the city of Macao with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) community; promote sports-based exchanges throughout the GBA region and further solidify Macao’s role as a ‘City of Sports’.
To help boost enthusiasm for basketball on a local community level, Wynn collaborated with the organizers of the tournament to invite the winner of the 48th “The King of Underdogs” title – Hao Tianji, better known as “Helmet” by his fans – to visit three Macao middle schools – Colégio Diocesano de São José 5 and 6 as well as Hou Kong Middle School. During his school visits, he took the time to interact with students who were very excited to get to meet him face-to-face. They also held a friendly 3×3 basketball match, a 1×1 shoot-out and posed for group photos together.
Beyond promoting regional and local sports exchanges, the “Wynn Presents – 3×3 Greater Bay Area Tour 2024” was also designed to prepare Macao for the upcoming National Games, particularly with respect to establishing training opportunities for volunteers. Scheduled for November 9-21, 2025, Macao will co-host the Chinese National Games with the Greater Bay Area, featuring several events such as 3×3 basketball.
