The opening match of the “FIBA 3×3 World Tour” will be held in Utsunomiya for the fifth consecutive year! “FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026” Xebio Group Press Release: October 29, 2025 The opening match of the “FIBA 3×3 World Tour” will be held in Utsunomiya for the fifth consecutive year! “FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026” Held for three days from Friday, April 24, 2026 at Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine / Approximately 80,000 fans were excited to watch the world’s most competitive tournament. We are pleased to announce that the “FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026,” organized by the Utsunomiya 3×3 Town Promotion Committee and in which Xebio Group company Cross Sports Marketing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo / President and CEO: Takaaki Nakamura) participates, has been rescheduled to take place on April 24th (Fri), 25th (Sat), and 26th (Sun), 2026. The Utsunomiya Opener will be the opening match of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, a competition to determine the world’s best 3×3 club team, and will be held at Futarasan Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4149/1184/4149-1184-0d6674e018642862a38d2634c1b381be-1600×1067.jpg “FIBA 3×3 World The “3×3 Town Utsunomiya Tour” is a tournament sponsored by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and has been held continuously in Utsunomiya since 2016. Organized by the Utsunomiya 3×3 Promotion Committee, in which Cross Sports Marketing Co., Ltd. participates, the tournament is also sponsored by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Furthermore, starting in 2022, the opening match of the tournament will be designated the “Utsunomiya Opener,” and Utsunomiya continues to be selected as a venue for this event. The opening match (Utsunomiya Opener) will be held in 2026 for the fifth consecutive year, and it has been decided that the opening matches until 2028 will be held at Nikayama Shrine in Utsunomiya. Utsunomiya City, the host city, has adopted the slogan “Utsunomiya, the City of 3×3,” providing many Utsunomiya residents and people from outside the prefecture and abroad with the opportunity to experience the world’s highest level of competition, while also promoting Utsunomiya’s food, culture, and appeal to the world. ■ 『FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026』 Event overview Tournament name: FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener 2026 Date: April 24th (Friday) to April 26th (Sunday), 2026 Venue: Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine Approach and Bamba Civic Square Miya Mirai Light Hill, Light Cube Utsunomiya, Orion Square Organizer: International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Organizer: 3×3 Town Utsunomiya Promotion Committee Participating teams: 12 teams in total ・Top 10 teams in the previous season’s FIBA 3×3 team rankings ・One host city team ・One wildcard team Competition Method: In the preliminary round, the 12
participating teams will be divided into four groups, and each group will play a round-robin tournament (12 matches) The top eight qualifying teams will compete in a tournament to determine the top team in the finals (7 matches). Other: Details of the tournament will be announced as soon as they are decided. Tournament official website: https://3x3exe.com/worldtour/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4149/1184/4149-1184-327fa72f9c98d41ecf7779a7d696bed2-1600×1066.jpg FIBA 3×3 World Tour 3×3 (three x three) is one of the urban sports currently attracting attention, having been included as an official event for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Utsunomiya also drew attention for hosting the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The FIBA 3×3 World Tour is an international tour-style tournament organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to determine the world’s No. 1 3×3 club team. Tournaments are held in cities around the world over the course of a year, and the top teams that win throughout the year advance to the World Tour FINAL to determine the world’s No. 1 team. The opening match, the Utsunomiya Opener, will feature the world’s top teams, including the previous year’s winning team, and are ranked in the top 10 in the world, making it the highest level tournament.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4149/1184/4149-1184-d7bf48697af0c8e6e723fd23df129473-1600×1067.jpg 3×3 Initiatives at the Xebio Group Xebio Group’s Cross Sports Marketing Co., Ltd.’s history with 3×3 began in 2013, when the company brought the FIBA 3×3 World Tour to Japan for the first time and held the tournament in Tokyo. In 2014, the final match of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, the “Final,” was held at Xebio Arena Sendai in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Since 2016, the company has worked with Utsunomiya City to bring the World Tour to Japan, and in 2022, FIBA designated the opening match of the World Tour as the “Utsunomiya Opener,” which has continued to be held every year to this day. In recognition of our efforts to host the FIBA 3×3 World Tour since 2016, Utsunomiya City will host the FIBA 3×3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2 2024, a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. In addition, the professional three-on-three basketball league “3×3.EXE PREMIER,” sponsored by Cross Sports Marketing Inc., was established in 2014 as the world’s first professional three-on-three basketball league approved by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Japan Basketball Association (JBA). 3×3.EXE PREMIER aims to produce players capable of competing at the world’s top level, while also providing a style of sports viewing that anyone can enjoy, new ways to enjoy sports, and value through the fusion of familiar top athletes, music, and fashion. It has now grown into one of the world’s largest global leagues, with a total of 99 participating teams in five countries: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Vietnam, by 2025. In addition to the professional league, as a 3×3 partner of the Japan Basketball Association, we have been hosting the “3×3.EXE TOURNAMENT,” Japan’s largest open tournament, open to both professionals and amateurs, since 2013. We also host the “3×3.EXE GAME,” which is open to anyone, regardless of experience, gender, age, or nationality, providing an environment where people both in Japan and overseas can enjoy 3×3 casually. https://3x3exe.com/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4149/1184/4149-1184-b4e84e7d157555dc0b5281ffb46133f3-383×164.png About the Xebio Group The Xebio Group operates sports retail stores nationwide, including “Super Sports Xebio,” “Victoria,” and “Golf Partner.” We are also expanding our business into sports team management, facility management, credit card management, and insurance, continuing to grow to support our customers’ lifestyles. Our statement is “Sports that move the heart.” We strive to contribute to the sustainable development of sports, contribute to local communities, and help people achieve healthy, fulfilling, and enriched lives with sports close at hand. https://www.xebio.co.jp/ja/
