Women’s 3x3 basketball tournament tips off in Tallaght this weekend

All eyes will be on the National Arena in Tallaght this weekend as a massive festival of women's 3x3 basketball tips off at 11am on Saturday morning.

The schedule sees some of the country’s best athletes pitted against each other and looks set to be a fantastic showcase of women’s basketball, with free admission to the arena.

"The tournament aims to increase participation in the 3x3 format of the game by Ireland's top female basketball players," said Basketball Ireland 3x3 co-ordinator Matt Hall.

"The ultimate goal is Olympic qualification if – as FIBA anticipates – it is added to the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020. Even being in with a chance of qualification would mark a huge stride for women's basketball, but the work must start now."

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Meanwhile, there was just one game in the Women's Super League left to be played before the Christmas break, with DCU Mercy overcoming Courtyard Liffey Celtics 68-55 on Wednesday evening. These two sides will face each other once more on January 7th in the Hula Hoops Women's National Cup semi-final in Neptune Stadium, Cork.

Interesting fixtures

It’s also a busy weekend of Super League action for the men with some very interesting fixtures in store.

Griffith Swords Thunder will welcome league leaders Templeogue who have yet to be beaten in the Men's Super League. The two sides recently played each other in the Hula Hoops National Cup quarter-final, with Swords winning out after a thrilling contest.

Templeogue will now be hoping to avenge that loss this weekend, while Swords will undoubtedly be aiming to be the first to beat Templeogue in the League this season. Elsewhere, KUBS will be hoping to get their first win of the League when they welcome Commercial.ie Éanna to the Carroll Arena on Saturday evening. KUBS had the better of their last two encounters when the sides met in the cup recently and hope that they can keep that momentum going this weekend to secure their first League win.

Elsewhere, Garvey's Tralee Warriors will travel to Radisson Blu UL Eagles, Belfast Star welcomes UCC Demons, UCD Marian will go head to head with SSE Airtricity Moycullen, while Pyrobel Killester take on DCU Saints.