Thailand Basketball: Bronze Boost for 2026 Asian Games Bid

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Posted: 2:08pm 04/01/2026

Thailand won the bronze medal in the 3-person competition in the East Asian Games to boost morale and challenge the Asian Games in 2026.
The Malaysian 3-a-side basketball team will participate in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup and World Cup qualifying tournament. The picture shows the SEA Games bronze medal team Wong Hin Fu (from left), Tan Junhong, Zeng Zifeng and Zhong Zhenyang. (Photo of the Malaysian Basketball Association)

Report: Chen Zhicong

(Kuala Lumpur News on the 4th) After winning ThailandSEA GamesAfter winning the double bronze medal, the Malaysian 3-a-side basketball team will challenge the higher-level FIBA 3×3 Asian Cup and World Cup Qualification Tournament in 2026, and also hopes to compete for more points to advance to the Asian Games.

according toMalaysian Basketball FederationIn the 2026 calendar (tentative), the 3-man basketball team will participate in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup and World Cup Qualification Tournament hosted in Singapore in April.

Previously, head coach Yu Keli revealed in an interview that the team plans to participate in multiple events to maintain competitiveness. “We will fight for more points, especially in the FIBA3x3 National League in May. The points are very high. If we participate, we can maintain the team’s ranking. We also hope to qualify for the Nagoya Asian Games in September.”

Thailand won the bronze medal in the 3-person competition in the East Asian Games to boost morale and challenge the Asian Games in 2026.
The Johor South Tigers will compete in the AFC East Asia region this year and defend the domestic league championship. They will undoubtedly be the focus of the Malaysian basketball team in 2026. (MBL Facebook photo)

Southern Tigers League champions defended

Looking at this year’s calendar, another highlight event is the 2025/26 AFC Champions League (BCL) scheduled to be hosted in Johor.malaysian basketballLeague (MBL) champion Johor South Tigers will compete with strong East Asian teams such as Mongolia and Taiwanese clubs.

However, the schedule of the AFC East Asian Championship, which was originally scheduled to start in March, has not yet been announced. South Tigers head coach Yang Jianan said in an interview with “Sing Chew Sports”: “The team’s preparations, including renting the stadium, recruiting players, etc., are all stuck in the official season. Everyone is still waiting patiently.”

In addition, the South Tigers will also start their defense campaign in the MBL League in the 4th season (2025/26 season, tentatively scheduled from April to May), and the 5th MBL season (26/27 season) is tentatively scheduled to start in November (a three-month period).

Young players participate in more competitions to prepare for the 2027 SEA Games in advance

In terms of other international competitions, as in recent years, the Malaysian Basketball Association will send young players to Taiwan to participate in the Fo Guang Cup Invitational Tournament, William Jones Cup, Xiamen International Tournament, etc. in July to prepare for the 2027 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

As for the national youth team, starting from May this year, the Malaysian team will participate in two major FIBA youth competitions – the U18 Asian Cup Southeast Asian Qualification Tournament and the U18 Women’s Basketball Asian Cup (Group A), the latter of which will be hosted at the Seremban Flower City Comprehensive Sports Center.

Heads of State CupPerformed twice this year

At the national level, due to previous preparations for the SEA Games, the 65th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Cup has been postponed, so there will be two Yang di-Pertuan Agong Cup competitions in 2026. This competition will kick off in Seremban two weeks later, and the 66th competition is planned to be hosted in Perak.

As for the two major domestic youth competitions – 17 years old and under and Lim Boon Ze Cup 15 years old and under, they will be hosted in Malacca (May to June) and Negeri Sembilan (December) respectively. The Malaysian Basketball Association Cup, formerly known as the Non-Chinese Basketball Championship, will be held in Sabah this year.

Malaysian basketball 2026 calendar (tentative)

National competition venue

The 65th Heads of State Cup will be held in Seremban from January 16 to 24

The 60th 17-year-old and under national competition will be held in Malacca from May 28 to June 7

The 66th Heads of State Cup is pending.

The 30th Malaysian Basketball Association Cup is to be decided in Sabah

The 33rd Lim Boon Chak Cup National Championship for 15 years and under held in Negeri Sembilan in December

2026/27 Malaysian Basketball League Season Kuala Lumpur and Seremban in November

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International basketball 2026 calendar

International competition venue

2025/26 AFC Champions League (BCL) East Asia Zone March to May Johor Bahru

FIBA U18 Asian Cup Southeast Asian Qualifiers to be determined from May

Fo Guang Cup Invitational Tournament July to August Kaohsiung

William Jones Cup July or August Taiwan

Xiamen International Competition Xiamen in August

FIBA U18 Women’s Basketball Asia Cup (Group A) August or September Seremban

FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup and World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Singapore in April

Worth a look

Sofia Reyes

Sofia Reyes covers basketball and baseball for Archysport, specializing in statistical analysis and player development stories. With a background in sports data science, Sofia translates advanced metrics into compelling narratives that both casual fans and analytics enthusiasts can appreciate. She covers the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and international basketball competitions, with a particular focus on emerging talent and how front offices build winning rosters through data-driven decisions.

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