Guyana set for tough qualification path at FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup in Mexico

Guyana’s men’s 3×3 basketball team will once again face the qualifying round at the prestigious FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, set for November 27-30 in León, Mexico.
The FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup is the premier competition for countries in the Americas Zone, bringing together the region’s top teams.
Guyana have yet to secure direct entry into the main draw of the men’s tournament.
The nation’s best performance came in 2022 when the quartet of Delroy James, Gordon James, Nikkoloi Smith, and Shelroy Thomas advanced from the qualifiers and narrowly missed out on a quarter-final berth in Miami.
This year, Guyana have been drawn in Group A of the qualifying round and will face Jamaica and St Lucia on November 27.
A successful outing will see Guyana advance to the main draw in Group B alongside regional powerhouses Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The Main Draw already features host nation Mexico, defending champions USA, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.

In addition to Guyana, Jamaica, and St Lucia, other countries battling in the qualifiers include Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, The Bahamas, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Ecuador.
To prepare for the tournament, the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) will host its National 3×3 Championship on September 27-28 at the Seawall Bandstand.
The championship will serve as the official qualifier to shortlist and select the players who will represent Guyana in Mexico.
GBF President Michael Singh described the draw as challenging, but expressed optimism, adding “St Lucia and Jamaica are worthy opponents, but we believe in the talent at our disposal. We are determined to field a team capable of surpassing our 2022 showing.”
According to Singh, the GBF “look forward to the National Championships, and is excited to see locally-based players competing with those arriving from overseas. This will give us a good view of our talent pool and allow us to select the best possible team to represent Guyana”.
At last year’s AmeriCup in Puerto Rico, Guyana’s team of Harold Adams, Nikkoli Smith, Travis Belgrave, and Dominic Vincente fell short in the qualifiers against the Cayman Islands and Haiti.