The 2025 Summer Games will uniquely incorporate 3x3 wheelchair basketball, where eight men's and eight women's teams will compete for medals at the Arena-Sportpark in Düsseldorf.

Similar to 3x3 basketball (officially included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a contested sport), 3x3 wheelchair basketball is gaining popularity and enthusiasts worldwide. This fast-paced version features 3 athletes per team (instead of 5), playing to 21 points (with 2 and 1-point conversions), and delivering a dynamic, fast-paced, and emotionally engaging experience that captivates fans in the ten minutes of maximum gameplay. In the wheelchair version, 3x3 becomes particularly attractive due to its inherent dynamism, featuring many collisions and diverse scoring attempts.

The inclusion of 3x3 wheelchair basketball in the program of the FISU Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games, scheduled for July 16-27, 2025, bringing together a total of 10,000 athletes from 170 countries, has been well received by athletes. 

"It's fantastic that wheelchair basketball will have an entirely new stage at the FISU World University Summer Games and will undoubtedly attract many more spectators. This spectacular sport is sure to win them over quickly. At the same time, it will be beneficial for our sport that young talents can prove themselves once again and gain important experience in international competition," says Mareike Miller, national wheelchair basketball player.

While 3x3 basketball has been part of the Olympics since the 2021 Tokyo Games, it is not yet included in the Paralympic version, which still follows the classic 5x5 format. The first time 3x3 wheelchair basketball was featured in an international multisport event was at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.

The organizing committee of the FISU Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games will introduce this sport to the lineup in 2025, sharing the infrastructure already in place for other sports in Germany, marking a path toward full inclusion in a single tournament for athletes with and without disabilities or physical limitations.

Competition Format:

Two groups of four teams will play three group matches each, with the group winners advancing directly to the semifinals and the second and third-placed teams likely competing in an intermediate round. Both the 3x3 basketball competition and the 3x3 wheelchair basketball competition will take place at the same venue, the Arena-Sportpark in Düsseldorf