PNG Basketball 3x3 Senior Women’s Team make history, qualifying for Commonwealth Games

The Papua New Guinea Basketball 3x3 Senior Women’s Team made history after securing a spot in the upcoming Commonwealth Games for the first time.

PNG men’s and women’s 5x5 basketball teams, including the 3x3 teams, have never participated in the Commonwealth Games before. 

The qualification marks the first time for PNG basketball, especially the senior women’s 3x3 team, to compete in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. PNG becomes the 13th country to take part in the international event.

Rugby 7s and netball were two of the codes that represented PNG and competed in the Commonwealth Games hosted in New Delhi, India, in 2010. The 16-year Commonwealth drought for PNG has ended after the qualification of the 3x3 women’s team. 

Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) President, David Peter, expressed satisfaction with the women’s 3x3 team qualification in the Commonwealth Games and clarified the selection process. 

“The 3x3 qualification pathway to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow applies to the Senior Open 3x3 National Team, not the Under-23s,” he explained. 

“The Under-23 category has a separate qualification pathway, which leads to the FIBA Under-23 3x3 World Cup, an annual event.

“Last year’s Under-23 World Cup was held in China in September. Unfortunately, as we did not secure a gold medal at the Pacific Mini Games, we did not qualify for that Under-23 World Cup.

“However, Papua New Guinea successfully qualified for the Commonwealth Games through the Senior 3x3 pathway.” 

The qualification was achieved through the team’s participation in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore, the Pacific Mini Games in Palau, and delivering multiple regional and national 3x3 tournaments - including events in Port Moresby, Madang, Kokopo, Goroka, Lae, and Alotau.

These activities or events significantly increased BFPNG’s FIBA 3x3 ranking points, with president Peter further clarifying the qualification process.

“The FIBA 3x3 system operates on a point-based ranking structure, where points are earned by players, clubs, and federations through sanctioned competitions. These points accumulate and contribute directly to the national federation’s global ranking,” he stated.

“Because PNG has been consistently delivering 3x3 basketball both domestically and internationally, our federation ranking has improved dramatically — moving from 178th to 50th in the world, out of 213 national basketball federations.

“This progress did not go unnoticed. FIBA recognized PNG’s performance and development efforts, and as a result, opened a Commonwealth Games slot for the Papua New Guinea Basketball 3x3 women's team.

“This reflects the impact of sustained delivery, strong governance, and results on the court — both locally and on the international stage.”

The selected players will undergo a rigorous training schedule, covering high-performance, medical tests, and eligibility criteria before the squad is finalized for the Commonwealth Games slated for July 23rd to August 2nd, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland.