Abu Dhabi Sports Council celebrates milestone fifth year of unique community basketball competition

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) is celebrating its renowned community basketball competition, The QUEST, as it enters its milestone fifth year of competition, ahead of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi event on 26-27 October.

First arriving in 2015, FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi has flourished under the guidance of and due to the relationship between ADSC and FIBA. This 3 versus 3, half-court format of the traditional basketball game, has taken the capital by storm, with clubs, teams and events popping up across the cities of Abu Dhabi and AI Ain.

Supported by ADSC with its world-class facilities and on-ground teams, the love of 3x3 continues to grow – with The QUEST being the pinnacle of its community competition offerings.

The QUEST, which gives local non-professional basketballers a year-round competition over four stages, culminates in the winning team facing off against professional athletes at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is only 1 of 5 cities to offer such an opportunity, from the 17 hosting cities on the Tour.

And for the second time in its Abu Dhabi history, The QUEST winners will compete alongside Olympic medallists, as this year’s World Tour continues in the wake of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

There are 48 teams participating in the qualifying rounds of The QUEST, but only one team will claim the championship title and become ‘Team Abu Dhabi’ for the World Tour Abu Dhabi event. Furthermore, they are also competing for a prize pool worth AED 72,000. ADSC has supported The QUEST with over AED 450,000 in prize pool funds, has attracted over 400 community teams comprised of 800-1000 participants, ranging across almost 40 different nationalities, to compete across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Speaking about the implementation of The QUEST, His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “From welcoming our friends at FIBA almost a decade ago, we’ve seen the interest and uptake in participation of this sport gather exceptional speed. From this first instance, partnered with our dedication to the growth of every sport in the capital, ADSC was keen to provide opportunities for basketball players from all segments of society, across all Emirates, to participate.

“Seeing The QUEST reach this milestone fifth year – along with welcoming Olympic Gold medallists playing in the World Tour event – is testament to our dedication to bringing the best sporting events in the world to our shores, and giving residents of the UAE unprecedented access to not only witness such sporting greatness, but compete against them.”

On entering the fourth and final stage of The QUEST, which runs until 24 October at the Abu Dhabi Corniche, Clinton Eduro, part of Team Abu Dhabi, QUEST 2023 winners, spoke about his experience over the past year:

“The QUEST is the biggest community basketball event in the UAE! Seeing over 50 teams and over 200 players, this experience is unmatched as you get to compete against different players from different emirates of the UAE. And let’s not forget about the cash prizes! Extra incentive for the players and their training to compete and stand a chance of winning. Thank you, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, for such a great experience – and long may The QUEST continue.”

FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi will bring 14 of the best international teams together, aside from Team Abu Dhabi, to participate in the main event at the end of October. And as the 2024 World Tour season draws to a close, Alex Sanchez, Managing Director of FIBA 3x3, spoke about the importance of communities within the hosting cities:

"The local Quest in Abu Dhabi, featuring some of the best 3x3 basketball players competing for a spot on the World Tour and going up against Olympic medallists, truly reflects our motto: 'From the Street to the Olympics.' It's vital for us to bridge local communities with our international competition, ensuring we leave a lasting impact in every city we visit." 

Entries for Quest 4 are still open until 19 October 2024 and teams can register here.

You can support Team Abu Dhabi by cheering them on at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi as tickets are still available to buy for AED 25 at ticketmaster.ae