(GBC) – In the next Olympic Games, 3-on-3 basketball will be an official sport, and FIBA organizers are starting to promote competition to get the world ready.

The Guam Basketball Confederation will send a men’s team to represent the island in the late August tournament in Athens, Greece. The four-man squad is made up of veterans Seve Susuico, Vince Estella, James Stake and Eric Santos.

Susuico has been a post player on the men’s national team since 2003, while Estella, team captain, has been one of Team Guam’s top outside shooters since joining the program in 2002. Stake is a sharp-shooting guard who competed in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, while Santos is a new guard/forward on the Guam national team, who takes the ball hard to the basket and has range as well.

Best teams in the world

Guam will compete against some of the best teams in the world, placed in a division with world basketball powerhouses Argentina, France, Ukraine, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. The USA Team will be in another division along with England while highly-ranked Spain, Serbia, Russia and Brazil will also be in the competition. Team Guam will have to perform well to make it out of division play, but the experience for the young group of players representing Guam will be invaluable.

The Men’s Guam National Basketball Team is ranked as one of FIBA’s top 100 countries, and has a tradition as one of Guam’s most successful team sports in international competition.

Continuing to improve

According to Team Guam head coach E.J. Calvo: “We are focused on continuing to improve our record internationally ... in the Pacific, Asia, and when given the opportunity, against the best in the world.” Calvo added, “Guam has a long and rich tradition of success in basketball, and the future is bright with a veteran group joined by some young talent with tons of potential.”

The Guam Basketball 3-on-3 Men’s Team is currently seeking sponsorship, and the squad will be hosting a youth 3-on-3 clinic later this year for various ages to help raise funds for future competition abroad. The team looks forward to sharing their experiences competing in Greece to the next generation of ballers.

For more information, send an email to gbc671[at]gmail.com or "Like" Guam Basketball Confederation on Facebook to get instant notices on upcoming events.

For more information or to schedule interviews, contact GBC Secretary Tony Thompson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Team Guam Men’s head coach E.J. Calvo at ejcalvo[at]tpiguam.com.