[San Juan, Puerto Rico – 4 September 2025] With just 92 days to go before the first tip-off at Distrito T-Mobile for the inaugural Special Olympics Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup, Special Olympics Puerto Rico today hosted the official Draw Ceremony for the Cup.
Modeled after the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, this groundbreaking event will unite 200 basketball players with and without intellectual disabilities from 30 nations, representing all seven Special Olympics regions, for three days of competition from 5-7 December 2025 with an opening ceremony taking place on 4 December.
During today’s live ceremony, group-stage matchups for both the men’s and women’s tournaments were announced. Using a lottery system to determine the initial lineups, the draw set the stage for an exciting competition in San Juan. The tournament will feature 38 teams—20 men’s and 18 women’s—with a champion crowned in each division.
To start the draw, Special Olympics Puerto Rico was drawn first as the Cup’s host team and placed into Group A. One team from each remaining pot was drawn to guarantee Group A has teams from various continental regions. The process continued for Groups B, C, D and E (five groups of four teams). Check out the full list of matchups from the draw at the website.
“Today has been a great day for Special Olympics Puerto Rico and making their vision for an inclusive society a reality. Hosting the draw for the 2025 World Cup means the countdown is officially underway. None of this would be possible without our partners' support. We welcome more to get in on the action and support this spectacular event."
Claudia Echeverry, Regional President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Latin America stated: “This Cup marks a new chapter in the history of our movement. Across Latin America and around the world, we witness every day the extraordinary power of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to break barriers and inspire lasting change. This event will show the world that inclusion is not just achievable—it is the future of sport for development, and it is a future we are building together.”
“This event is important because it promotes inclusion. It’s going to be a great event, as many athletes from different countries will be coming, and that will be wonderful. Our doors are open to welcome them. We want everyone to enjoy themselves and for people to get to know our culture. This event will help increase support for athletes with intellectual disabilities."
The Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup will take place in world-class facilities at Distrito T-Mobile, featuring two competition courts and an outdoor warm-up court, all meeting FIBA standards. The event will bring together 250 participants, including athletes, Unified partners, coaches, officials, and judges, supported by 250 dedicated volunteers. Our partners making this event possible are Coca Cola, Lions Clubs, the Department of Sports and Recreation, San Juan Municipality, Goya, Power Sola, and Walmart.
Beyond the courts, the World Cup will be a celebration of inclusion, offering a program of parallel events:
- My First Basketball Experience
- Motor Activity Training Program (MATP)
- Sports Clinics
- Unified Sports Experience
- Health Fairs
Special Olympics Unified Sports® brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team, demonstrating how playing and competing together breaks down barriers and ultimately creates communities of acceptance and inclusion. Globally, 393,474 Special Olympics athletes and 134,059 Unified partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities) compete in basketball. In Puerto Rico, 160 athletes compete in basketball. The Special Olympics Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup Puerto Rico will be the first-ever tournament in this single-sport series.
A primary objective of the Special Olympics Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup is to reach and collaborate with professional basketball clubs, their foundations, and basketball federations to support the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and the development of Unified Sports.