THE EP3L – the Elite Pro 3x3 League, a first-of-its-kind 3x3 league in India is all set to kickstart from 28th September to 1st October 2023. It is organized by The Elite Pro Basketball League and the Elite Women's Pro Basketball League.
The men's league will have a total of 16 teams with a total of 6 players per team while the women’s league will have 6 teams. The format of the league will divide the teams into four pools for the men’s league, out of which two teams will qualify on the basis of a round-robin to the quarterfinals. The leaders of the pools will then head into knockout rounds for the coveted trophy. The women's league will be divided into two pools. The top four teams will then compete for glory in knockouts, a media release said.
Mumbai Stars, Pune Pythons, Jaipur Giants, Kochi Pachers, Chandigarh Conquerors, Hyderabad Hoops, Lucknow Swarm, Chennai Turbos, Punjab Gladiators, Ahmedabad Aces, Delhi Dominators, Bengaluru Stallions, Nagpur Knights, Goa Waves, Surat Diamonds and Eastern Tigers constitute the men’s league. While the women’s league will include Mumbai Starlets, Delhi Wildcats, Kolkata Victory, Chennai Chargers, Chandigarh Dreams and Bengaluru Blings.
In an unprecedented move in the basketball professional setup in India, all the players will receive a predetermined salary that is attuned to the ideology of EWPBL and EPBL of ensuring a serious career pathway for young basketball players in India. The 3x3 basketball features three players in each team as opposed to the five in traditional basketball games. There's only one substitute allowed on the bench in 3x3 basketball, who can enter the game anytime during a dead ball situation by tagging an outgoing player, the release added.