Bathed in Swiss sunshine, Special Olympics delegations representing Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong,Hungary, Israel, Iceland, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland used this unique platform at FIBA’s headquarters to show the global basketball community what it means to Play Unified!
Thanks to the powerful support of Toyota Motor Europe and the FIBA Foundation, this was the eighth time that Special Olympics athletes have competed at the FIBA Open, a grassroots and inclusive tournament that welcomes more than 300 teams and 4,000 visitors each year.
It was Fanni Fonyadt from Hungary’s second time at the Open and she relished the return visit. She was even greeted with a life size version of herself on the promotional poster. Speaking courtside over the weekend, Fanni said, “[The best thing about the tournament] is the fact that I'm a returning player. It was a really great feeling, and that I made it into the Hungarian national team. It fills me with such joy.”
“It's also a really great feeling and such an honour to be up there on the wall,” added Fanni, pointing to her photo!
For Fanni, 3x3 offers a uniquely challenging and rewarding basketball format. She said, “[In 3x3], there is a lot of passing, fast-paced play, and honestly, it's just a very intense, high-energy game.” Fanni is among a growing number of Special Olympics athletes choosing 3x3 basketball as their sport – more teams than ever before competed at this year’s FIBA Open. The support that FIBA is providing is a key factor in the growth of the sport, which was in particular evidence at the first-ever Special Olympics Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup Puerto Rico 2025 where various Basketball For Good activations were organised in partnership with the FIBA Foundation.
Theren Bullock Jr., Head of FIBA Foundation, is a long-time friend and supporter of the Special Olympics movement who has been a key figure in helping to drive the development of 3x3 basketball. Speaking at the FIBA Open, he said, “We are delighted to welcome Special Olympics teams to the House of Basketball every year. This year we hosted a record number of 15 Special Olympics delegations, further strengthening the inclusive and international dimensions of the FIBA Open. One of the highlights of the weekend was the Special Olympics Ceremony, as this had a powerful emotional impact on athletes, partners as well as all in attendance.”
For Zhang Lingfeng, who travelled all the way from China to compete with his team, the appeal of 3x3 is the intense speed on court. He said, “What makes 3x3 basketball unique is its fast pace—every pass and defence counts. I can run around and shoot freely, and every minute on court gives me a strong sense of achievement. For the future, I hope to perform better in every game, cooperate well with teammates, meet more new friends and enjoy basketball together.
Special Olympics represented one of 19 categories at this uniquely inclusive event which also included dedicated tournaments for youth, over 40s, wheelchair basketball and Special Olympics categories, everyone can find their place on the court.
