There is a team of three players who play 3x3 basketball, which is extremely physically demanding, without substitutions.

The 'NH Nonghyup Bank FIBA 3x3 Hongcheon Challenger 2025' opened with a flourish on the 9th at the Hongcheon Gymnasium. This tournament, hosted by the Korea 3x3 Basketball Federation (KXO), Hongcheon County, and the Hongcheon County Council Sports Association, is the first in the country to be held for three consecutive years.

Lausanne from Switzerland came to Hongcheon with four players: Jonathan Dubas (34, 204cm), Carlos Martinez (29, 201cm), Przemysław Jamrożek (38, 194cm), and Palu Niang (23, 202cm).

An unexpected situation arose. Lausanne lost 15-18 to Poděbrady from the Czech Republic in the first match of the Main Draw Group D. A shocking incident occurred at the end of the match when Niang, excited, struck an opponent in the face. As a result of discussions among the referees, Niang received an immediate ejection. With the ace, who had 3 points and 8 rebounds, leaving, Lausanne crumbled.

The problem was that, according to the rules, Niang could not participate in the remaining tournament. Lausanne had to play the second match against Wydrzech with only three players.

In the extremely physically demanding 3x3 basketball, playing full-time with only three players without substitutions inevitably means defeat. Moreover, Wydrzech was a stronger ranked team.

Lausanne mounted a fierce chase, closing the gap to 8-9 by the middle of the match. However, as they played without substitutions, they grew tired as the second half progressed. Ultimately, the score widened to 9-13 with about 4 minutes remaining. Lausanne fought until the end, narrowing the score to 17-19, but ultimately fell 18-21. The absence of Niang was too substantial.

After the match, Przemysław Jamrożek could not hide his disappointment. He said, "Due to Niang's ejection in the first match, we had to play with three players. As the match progressed, we felt fatigued. We fought until the end but unfortunately lost. We have no choice but to accept the result."

Regarding Niang's ejection, he explained, "The opponent grabbed my uniform, and during the process of pushing away, I struck his face. There was no intention to hit deliberately. Anyway, the referee declared the ejection and it's water under the bridge. I could not play in the remaining matches."

Although they were eliminated with two losses, Lausanne's spirit resonated greatly with the audience. Jamrożek declared, "In basketball, there are times when you lose to a buzzer-beater, and various situations arise. I will train harder to prepare for next week’s tournament in Amsterdam."

Though eliminated early, the Swiss players were left with a good impression of Korea. Jamrożek said, "The Korean people were all kind, and the food was very delicious. The tournament operation was smooth. I hope to come back next time and achieve good results."

[OSEN]