Basketball and 3×3 Basketball: The Challenge Begins
“Last year, the standard of competition was truly incredibly high, and we expect it to be even higher this year. Among the most prominent nations was certainly Lithuania, who claimed the title in the men’s competition, but France, Turkiye, and all the other teams also deserve a mention, having shown great merit and fought with determination throughout the event.”
Andrea Forgione, Technical Delegate for 3×3 Basketball at CUS Salerno.
Basketball is undoubtedly among the most highly anticipated disciplines at EUG Salerno 2026, in its two formats: Basketball and 3×3 Basketball.
Starting from July 28, 2026, 24 teams representing as many universities will participate, totalling 96 student-athletes and 39 coaches and managers. The Italian delegation will also be present, led by the University of Salerno and the University of Ferrara. The women’s 3×3 Basketball category draw, meanwhile, will see 20 universities on the starting blocks with 80 student-athletes and 29 staff members, including the University of Salerno.
Basketball Competition
Regarding the indoor Basketball competition, there will be a total of 28 participating teams.
- Men’s Competition: Unfolding in a draw comprising 16 universities, totalling 190 athletes, 54 coaches and managers, and 11 official referees. Italy will be represented by the University of Bologna, the defending champions (Debrecen 2024), and the University of Salerno.
- Women’s Competition: The women’s category will see 12 teams battle it out, bringing in 139 female athletes, 42 staff members, and 8 referees. Once again, Bologna will be representing the Italian flag.
“Basketball,” says Rino Zagaria, Technical Delegate for Basketball at CUS Salerno, “will be one of the disciplines with the highest number of participants. There will be two Italian universities present: Bologna, who are the outgoing champions, and Salerno, who line up at the start as the organisers. There are numerous high-quality representative teams set to compete: many universities, in fact, have professional athletes on their rosters.”
Venues and Expectations
The competitions will be hosted across four venues, with each hosting four matches daily:
- PalaIrno (Baronissi)
- PalaBerlinguer (Bellizzi)
- PalaPontecagnano (Pontecagnano)
- PalaSilvestri (Salerno)
“Among the most eagerly anticipated teams,” Zagaria continues, “are those from Nantes and Madrid, but Bologna is obviously one of the most feared, having won the last edition of the Games. There is a huge commitment from the organisers because the competition, in both the men’s and women’s categories, will see wide participation. In addition to the organisers’ efforts, there will be great dedication from the volunteers who will ensure support for the success of the event.”
Andrea Forgione, Technical Delegate for 3×3 Basketball at CUS Salerno, added: “There will be a massive turnout from all the universities and from a huge number of athletes and students. We talk about a week-long event, but in reality, it will be a very intense and concentrated week, because it also includes the days dedicated to arrivals and departures. Effectively, we will have four full days to manage the competition. Unlike last year, when the entire event took place at the Fisciano Campus, this year we will be using the Baronissi Campus. We have changed the location, but only slightly, and we hope the choice will be appreciated by everyone. Last year, the standard of competition was truly incredibly high, and we expect it to be even higher this year.”
