KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s men’s 3×3 basketball team is targeting a bronze medal, while the women’s side have set their sights on gold at next month’s Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The contrasting ambitions come as both national teams prepare to test themselves against some of Asia’s strongest 3×3 basketball nations, with the men banking on a youthful squad and the women determined to turn months of preparation into a podium finish.
Speaking to Scoop, men’s head coach Ee Kee Lip said the squad heading to Japan will feature only one player from the team that competed at the Commonwealth Games.
The captain has been retained, while the other three players are from the under-23 set-up, giving the team a largely new-look line-up.
“For the Asian Games, we have an under-23 squad. From the team that played at the Commonwealth Games, only the captain remains, while the other three players are under-23 players.
“So, basically, almost the entire squad is new,” said Kee Lip.
Despite the group’s relative inexperience, Kee Lip believes Malaysia are capable of mounting a stronger challenge than they did at the previous Asian Games, where they failed to progress beyond the opening stage after losing all three matches.
“This time, our target is a bronze medal. At the last Asian Games, I believe we were eliminated in the first round. We played three matches and lost all of them.
“But this year, we are targeting bronze,” he said.
The Malaysians, however, will face a formidable field in Japan, with Kee Lip identifying hosts Japan, China and Mongolia among the teams expected to pose the biggest threat.
“Japan is very strong in 3×3 basketball at the moment, especially as the hosts. Then there are China and Mongolia. They are all among the top teams,” he added.
The women’s team, meanwhile, are refusing to lower their ambitions, with head coach Goran Vojkic making it clear that gold remains the ultimate objective.
Vojkic said his players had spent between three and four months preparing for the Games and would head to Japan ready to give everything in pursuit of the top prize.
“Gold is always the target. Every game we play, we want to win. We want to keep winning all the way.
“But, honestly, it is a very tough competition. Our group is also very difficult because we have Mongolia, the Philippines and Macau.
“So, getting through the group stage and reaching the quarter-finals will already be a challenge,” said Vojkic.
Nevertheless, Vojkic remains confident that Malaysia can make a deep run, pointing to the team’s preparations and their recent experience against the Philippines in two matches involving the under-21 and under-23 sides.
With both teams entering the Games carrying ambitious medal targets, Malaysia’s 3×3 basketball campaign could provide one of the country’s more intriguing challenges in Aichi-Nagoya.
The basketball competition at the Asian Games will be held at Aichi International Arena from September 10 to 26. – August 26, 2026