The team name is Hangzhou, but all the players are Europeans?
The 'NH Nonghyup Bank FIBA 3x3 Hongcheon Challenger 2025' kicked off with a grand ceremony at the Hongcheon Gymnasium on the 9th. This tournament, hosted by the Korea 3x3 Basketball Federation (KXO), Hongcheon County, Hongcheon County Council, and Hongcheon County Sports Council, is the first in the country to be held for three consecutive years.
The Hangzhou team, representing China, consists of unique players. Though it is a Chinese team, there are actually no players of East Asian descent with Chinese nationality. The team is made up of Miloš Yovanović (29, Montenegro), Aleksandar Račič (28, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Goran Vidojević (29, Serbia), and Milan Kovacević (29, Slovenia). It seemed more like a team from Eastern Europe than from China.
In international competitions, players of professional teams are not obligated to obtain the nationality of their affiliated teams. It is perfectly acceptable to have an entirely foreign roster like Hangzhou. If there is no necessity to fill points with domestic players for Olympic qualification or other reasons, it is more advantageous to use foreign players in terms of strength.
Hangzhou showcased the power of height in their first match against Serbia's Liman. The match was intense. With one minute remaining, Hangzhou led 20-19. With 55 seconds left, Račič made a game-winning layup to finish the match at 21-19.
After the game, Račič noted, “It was a fierce match. The opponent was rough. We came together and played well. We maintained our concentration until the end and were able to make the winning shot. I am happy to win the first match,” he said with a smile.
I was curious why a Chinese team is composed of European players. He explained, “We are a team representing Hangzhou. There was one Chinese player who played with us last week, but he could not come to Korea this time. In Korea, we formed a team with four European players. More Chinese players might join the team in the future.”
Hangzhou made a good first step. Račič said, “We have not set a big goal. If we win one game at a time, we will be close to winning the championship. It’s my first time in Korea, and it’s a very nice country. My shooting was good today. I will focus more and play better in future matches.”
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