Singapore qualify for Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup quarter-finals after win over Hong Kong

Haribon Espinosa (right) scored six points to help Singapore beat Hong Kong 21-16 in their Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup Pool A opener. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB

David Lee

UPDATED Mar 29, 2025, 11:47 PM

Thanks for sharing!

SINGAPORE – For only the second time in local basketball history, Singapore are in the quarter-finals of the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup men’s competition.

On March 29, they beat Hong Kong 21-16 in their Pool A opener at the OCBC Square. Later in the day, 2023 champions Mongolia defeated Singapore (22-10) and Hong Kong (22-8) to top the group and advance to the last eight. They will meet Australia on March 30, with the last day of competition to decide the champions for 2025.

Singapore are also through to the quarter-finals after finishing runners-up in Pool A and the hosts will face Japan in a bid to improve on their best finish – they also made the last eight in 2023 – and secure a historic semi-final berth.

Against qualifiers Hong Kong, they got off to a rousing start in front of a vociferous home crowd, when Nur Aufa Emil Putra sank a two-pointer. Buckets from captain Kelvin Lim and Liam Blakney extended Singapore’s lead to 5-0 before the visitors responded through Lam Chun Tat.