LOUTRAKI (Greece) – The maiden edition of the FIBA Masters Open is in the books, with amazing memories made by the members of the global basketball community who attended, and the standard now set for future editions of the newest event in the FIBA calendar. From July 4 to 12, almost 1,000 players spanning 15 age categories from 40+ upwards gathered in Loutraki, Corinth, and Western Attica, some 80 kilometers from the Greek capital, Athens. Those who came from every corner of the world and laced up their basketball shoes were given the opportunity to showcase their passion for the sport and appetite to compete by taking part in 272 games - including 3x3. Between them, they scored more than 19,000 points, with a total of 1,600 three-pointers. Even those who didn't manage to come engaged digitally, with more than 1,000 people following some of the live streams.
By the time the medal games arrived, some venues had solid crowds, as fellow participants, family, friends, and basketball fans attended to watch the climax of a memorable week. In a fitting end to the historic tournament, the men's 60+ Final needed overtime to find a winner - highlighting how the will to win never retires. The players all came to compete in every age category, with the quality of play being the story of the week.
Teams from around the globe made the most of their opportunity to be part of a historic event - including the USA Global Masters, the Fighting Irish from Ireland itself, Golden Players Italia and teams from Australia and countless European nations.
Many of the rosters carried decades of shared history, often with former teammates reunited, long-time rivals turned friends, groups who first met each other at other Masters Tournaments years ago and kept coming back. There were even some former FIBA World Cup players, Olympians, and NBA players. Officiating was overseen by Elias Koromilas, one of the most respected referees in international basketball. And, with 87 referees and 69 table officials delivering the games to a consistently high standard, this first ever event was able to pride itself on players knowing exactly what good officiating looks like.
Player welfare also remained the constant priority throughout. Over 12 months ago, planning began for player health and safety, with support and oversight from Dr. Peter Harcourt, Chair of the FIBA Medical Commission.
The event fielded 18 doctors, 12 paramedics and six ambulances, while the transport team coordinated more than 1,000 journeys over the nine days. Furthermore, the courts all carried full FIBA Masters Open 2026 event livery, with Molten supplying the game balls and NBN23 providing live statistics and digital scoresheets that delivered results directly onto the devices of participants in real time.
If the basketball supplied the substance of a landmark week, the incredible setting in Greece proved to be the fuel for some amazing memories. The tournament opened with a ceremony in a beautiful Greek amphitheater by the marina, where local performers welcomed the teams as they paraded for the first time under the FIBA Masters Open banner. For players who have given their lives to the game, walking out behind a team name in an ancient setting on the Greek coast was the sort of moment this event was created for. The days that followed settled into the kind of rhythm that some of the participants will have recognized from the best weeks of their playing lives.
Games in the morning, the beaches and tavernas of the Saronic coast in the afternoon, and lively evenings between the 3x3 courts in Kiato and the Fan Zone at Loutraki Beach Park, where themed events, music, food and cultural exchange brought participants and visitors from every continent together. The closing ceremony perfectly encapsulated this as teams that had spent the week competing against each other ended it by dancing together in the fan zone, sometimes with medals around their necks and sometimes not.
One evening stood apart, maybe more than any other, when the Hellenic Basketball Federation delivered with the FIBA Masters Open a FIBA Foundation Basketball for Good initiative.
Teenagers with disabilities were invited to share the court alongside players from Australia and the USA. A training session was followed by an engaging game, with Masters participants helping to coach and encourage the youngsters as many of their family members watched proudly from the stands. For every team that registered for the event, FIBA and the Hellenic Basketball Federation jointly donated 100 euros to the FIBA Foundation, meaning every side that stepped onto the court had contributed to the power of the sport being able to transform lives beyond it.
Building a new global event from a blank page required the coordination of registration systems, venues, transportation, ceremonies, medical services and much more. Through close collaboration between FIBA and the Hellenic Basketball Federation, the vision became a reality, with the delivery of an unforgettable event experience that earned warm and sustained applause from participants and visitors at the closing ceremony.
Now attention will turn to the next edition, with FIBA having confirmed its commitment to ensuring the Masters Open is a lasting part of the global basketball ecosystem. You can re-live the FIBA Masters Open 2026 on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, while also keeping a check on announcements for the next edition. FIBA