Basketball

Athletes compete in the Danang Basketball Championship in June. — Photos courtesy of New Sports

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Pro-Am Basketball Championship 2023 by VNPAY will be held for the first time, featuring the country's top eight amateur teams in October in Hà Nội.

The tournament is the final round of three events, which are considered qualification rounds, held in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City since last October.

"Vietnam Pro-Am Basketball Championship 2023 by VNPAY features the strongest teams which are rich in tradition and achievements vying for a huge bonus," said Tô Duy, chairman of the Board of Directors of New Sports Joint Stock Company, a representative of the organising board.

"The tournament will have the participation of stars from the top basketball teams in Việt Nam as well as some foreign players," said Duy, adding that it was an effort to professionalise and systematise the national basketball movement and and competitions.

He said its goal was to create a playground with a professional-organised model and a new, attractive format for athletes. Meanwhile, it was expected to combine sports and entertainment in one, contributing to spreading and promoting basketball culture to the public.

In addition, the organisers also hoped to discover new talented players to supplement professional teams and clubs participating in national and international tournaments.

Organisers hold a press conference to launch the first Vietnam Pro-Am Basketball Championship 2023 by VNPAY.

At the tournament entitled Rise of the Conqueror, supporters will have opportunities to watch their favourite players, either from domestic leagues or the professional Vietnam Basketball Association, on the court.

It is a double-elimination competition with a total of VNĐ300 million (US$12,300) up for grabs.

Teams will be divided into two groups, competing in round robin format. The top two teams of each group will advance to the upper bracket while the bottom two will go to lower bracket.

The final will be a clash of the two brackets' winners.

The champions will receive VNĐ140 million. Two runners-up will take VNĐ80 million and VNĐ40 million, respectively.

The MVP of the tournament will walk away with VNĐ40 million

There are two matches organised per day at the Cầu Giấy Gymnasium and broadcast live on VTVcab multi-platform channels such as ON Sports; App: ON Plus, ON; Facebook: ON Sports and Youtube: ON Bóng rổ.

Along with competitive matches, music and dance performance by famous singers and dancers will also be held everyday to entertain supporters. — VNS