3×3 basketball is, like a player taking a double step to climb to the basket, on the rise. Soon Olympic (in Tokyo, next summer and then in Paris in 2024), it has also set up in the West of Creuse, as explained by Rémi Dumas, the 34-year-old coach of the Amicale laïque Bénévent-CTC Pays West Creuse.
“For four years, as part of my duties at AL Bénévent-CTC Pays Ouest Creuse (the club of Bénévent-l’Abbaye and La Souterraine Editor’s note) where I am a qualified state employee trainer, I launched 3×3 basketball. It is a sport created in 2010, there was the first world championship in 2012 and the French women finished third in the World Cup twice recently (and second in 2012). The French teams have good results, it is developing. Since it has become Olympic, there is funding. But there is not yet a French team in the professional circuit. It is especially developed in Eastern Europe. A championship with clubs from Western Europe of which three or four French teams should have seen the light of day in September, but with the Covid, I think there was a lack of funding. In Bordeaux and Paris, there are associations that have been created but it is still amateur. “
A spectacular discipline
On the side of Benevento, it is regularly that young people and seniors swap the classic five against five against the three against three. “It is played on half-court, in ten minutes or 21 winning points with the shot behind the circle which is worth two points and the shoot in the racket that is worth one, develops Rémi Dumas. The ball is the same for girls as for boys, so it is a little heavier for the former and a little smaller for the latter. It is a sport that requires a lot of mobility and it is really a sport for players. The coach has less influence than in classic basketball. It’s more spectacular. For example, in overtime, the first to score two points wins. It appeals to young and old alike because it already creates a breath of life. We organize convivial events such as a raclette tournament or a Telethon tournament. It was before the first confinement of course. The players like to break the routine and some got caught up in the game. In the top 100, we had two players from Benevento. And then, those who have less playing time at 5, will enjoy playing at three where there is only one replacement per team. “
Other teams precisely than those of the Ouest-Creuse club used to go to Benevento for three-against-three tournaments.
“From time to time we had teams from Cognac for example or from other departments during tournaments that we organized. “
Guéret could host large 3×3 basketball competitions
In addition to his work at the club, Rémi Dumas takes part in the first training in France devoted to 3×3 basketball: “It is a video analyst training, it also allows access during this training to specialized software. “
Le Creusois has also created a YouTube channel and an Instagram account focused on 3×3 basketball. “As there was little technical content in the discipline, I show exercises that I saw during training with the France team. I also published interviews with the coach of New Zealand and the coach of Serbia who are the best team in the world. There are a lot of French people who follow me on YouTube or Facebook and on Instagram, it’s more like two thirds of foreigners. The pages are called My3x3experience. “
Decidedly passionate about this emerging discipline, Rémi Dumas has also written a book published by Amazon entitled “Basket 3×3: fundamentals, exercises and systems”. “Rugby has rugby 7, volleyball has beach volleyball and we basketball, we have 3×3 basketball”, concludes the coach.
Clement Bessoudoux
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