Kenya’s men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball teams are battling it out in Benin’s capital, Cotonou, as the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League-Africa 1 Championship unfolds under a fresh tournament format.  

The week-long competition, which tipped off on June 3, 2025, and ends on June 9, 2025, features six African nations aiming for a spot at this year’s World Cup in China, and a step closer to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) First Vice Chairman Hilmi Ali, in an interview with Wikendi Sport, explained that a total of six national men’s teams (hosts Benin, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Kenya) along with a similar number of women’s national sides from the same countries, are featuring in the championship being held in Cotonou. 

“The championship tipped off with Stop 1 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, moved to Stop 2 on Wednesday, followed by Stop 3 on Thursday, June 5. It continued with Stop 4 Friday, and proceeds to Stop 5  and finally Stop 6, ending on June 9.” 

“Each stop is a complete tournament, featuring all six men’s and women’s teams. During each stop tournament day, each team plays three matches, one against every other team in its pool,” said Ali. 

The KBF First Vice Chairman further stated that during the six-stop tournaments, each national team, both men’s and women’s, can earn up to a total of 600 points, 100 points per tournament. 

“Each day’s winning national team earns 100 points by winning all three of its scheduled matches. The second-placed team earns 80 points, and the third-placed team gets 60,” he explained. 

Wikendi Sport also established that both the men’s and women’s national 3×3 teams are pooled into two groups: A and B. 

Women’s Pool A consists of Kenya, Algeria and Burkina Faso, while Pool B includes Ivory Coast, Benin, and Uganda.

For the men, Pool A features Uganda, Kenya and Benin, while Pool B comprises Algeria, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. 

As teams gain points from their three matches in each stop, the six teams across the two pools are ranked through table standings (from top to bottom) based on games played, games won, win percentage, points average (PTS AVG), and total points earned. 

The FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League-Africa 1 also maintains conference standings, which reflect the total points a team earns from three games in one stop, ranking them from highest to lowest. 

The national teams in both the men’s and women’s categories that earn the most points over the six-stop tournaments will qualify for the World Cup Championship scheduled for Xiong An City, China, from September 17 to 21. 

The Championship is part of a series of continental youth competitions featuring qualified national teams from Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Oceania.  

The winners from each continent’s Youth Nations League qualify for the World Cup, which also serves as a qualifying path for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.