BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU, KSM
Nigeria has been named among three countries set to make their debut in the men’s 3×3 basketball competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Guyana and Malaysia complete the list of debutants.
The confirmation was announced by the Glasgow 2026 Organising Committee on February 3, highlighting Nigeria’s growing footprint in international basketball.
Scheduled for July 24 to July 29, 2026, the 3×3 basketball event will be staged at the SEC Centre in Glasgow. The format features three players per team on a single hoop, a 12-second shot clock and matches that last 10 minutes or end once a team reaches 21 points.
Nigeria, Africa’s top-ranked men’s basketball nation, will use the platform to test its depth and competitiveness in the fast-rising 3×3 format. Kenya will be the only other African nation in the men’s competition, having made its debut at Birmingham 2022.
Following its successful introduction at the Birmingham Games, where eight teams competed per gender, the sport has been expanded to 12 teams per category at Glasgow 2026 — a move that reflects its strong reception and increasing global appeal.
Among the confirmed nations for both gender in the 3×3 basketball competitions are Scotland (hosts), Australia, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore and Kenya.
Full list of qualified nations
Men’s 3×3 Basketball
- Australia
- Cayman Islands
- Fiji
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Scotland (hosts)
- Singapore
- European Qualification Slot
Women’s 3×3 Basketball
- Australia
- Cayman Islands
- Fiji
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Scotland (hosts)
- Singapore
- Tonga
- Uganda
- European Qualification Slot –