Liman dominate Uenohara Challenger as three teams book Debrecen tickets
UENOHARA (Japan) – Liman (SRB) ruled the inaugural FIBA 3x3 Uenohara Challenger 2026 after defeating Toulouse (FRA) 19-13 in the Final. Led by MVP Dorde Simeunovic, Liman claimed their second straight Challenger stop win and secured their place at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Debrecen 2026 alongside Toulouse and Shanghai (CHN).
The Winner
Liman were in control from the moment the main draw tipped off. The Serbian powerhouse opened with a gritty 20-18 victory over Utsunomiya BREX.EXE (JPN) before edging Valencia Basket (ESP) 17-15 to sweep Pool A and advance to the Quarter-Finals.
There, Liman faced Antwerp (BEL) and turned another tight contest into a convincing 18-14 win, setting up a Semi-Final clash with Shanghai.
Liman started the Semi-Final strongly, opening a 6-3 lead before extending the advantage to 14-8 midway through the game. Shanghai could not produce the run needed to change the momentum, as Liman powered through 21-13 and booked their place in the Final.
Simeunovic was central to the run, finishing the tournament with 33 points and 23 made 1-pointers. His 32.6 total player value ranked third overall, while his scoring total was second among all players. Liman then saved their best for the tournament's biggest moment.
The Final
Liman wasted little time establishing control in the Final against Toulouse. The Serbian side opened with a 4-1 lead before taking an 8-4 advantage midway through a low-scoring battle.
Toulouse remained within striking distance, but Liman steadily tightened their grip. The Serbians led 13-7 with less than three minutes remaining before Toulouse Finally found a response. It was not enough, though.
Liman pushed the lead to 19-10 with a minute left and never allowed Toulouse to produce the late surge they needed. Simeunovic finished with 7 points in the Final as Liman closed out a 19-13 victory and prevailed in the first-ever Uenohara Challenger stop.
The Runner-up
For their part, Toulouse navigated a challenging route to the Final, bouncing back from a 20-17 pool-stage loss to Shanghai by defeating Port Dickson KL Eagles (MAS) 21-12 in their last Pool D game.
Franck Seguela led the French side into the knockout stage, where Toulouse edged Skyliners (GER) 20-17 in a nip-and-tuck Quarter-Final clash. The Semi-Final against Valencia Basket was another battle. Valencia jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Toulouse found their rhythm and moved ahead 10-7 midway through the game. Seguela took over with 7 points and 7 rebounds as Toulouse held off Valencia 18-14 to reach the Final. They simply could not find the same offensive rhythm against Liman, though.
The Reward
Liman, Toulouse and Shanghai all earned tickets to FIBA 3x3 World Tour Debrecen 2026 by finishing in the top three.
Shanghai's qualification was powered by the tournament's leading scorer, Cameron Forte, who finished with 36 points. Forte was a force throughout the weekend, scoring 9 points in Shanghai's opening win over Port Dickson KL Eagles before adding 11 against Toulouse and another 9 in the Quarter-Final against Barcelona. Meanwhile, Seguela finished third among all scorers with 29 points, while Liman had two players in the top five with Simeunovic on 33 and Andreja Milutinovic on 24.
Final Standings:
1. Liman (SRB) - qualified to WT Debrecen
2. Toulouse (FRA) - qualified to WT Debrecen
3. Shanghai (CHN) - qualified to WT Debrecen
4. Valencia Basket (ESP)
5. Fuengirola (ESP)
Top Scorers:
1. Cameron Forte (Shanghai) - 36 pts
2. Dorde Simeunovic (Liman) - 33 pts
3. Franck Seguela (Toulouse) - 29 pts
4. Jules Rambaut (Toulouse) - 27 pts
5. Andreja Milutinovic (Liman) - 24 pts
What's Next
The Challenger circuit continues next weekend with the FIBA 3x3 Singapore Challenger 2026 on August 15-16, as teams continue battling for valuable World Tour berths.
Meanwhile, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour returns to action at WT Lausanne on August 14-15, with the world's best 3x3 basketball teams restarting the intense race for the 2026 season title.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3x3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3x3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3x3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3x3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3x3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
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