International Basketball Tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The International Basketball Tournament started in 1999 in the Bahamas, and has taken off in worldwide popularity. The rules and format of the tournament has changed over the past eight years and has been played in six different sites.
| International Basketball Tournament (IBT) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1999 |
| No. of teams | 40 countries |
Contents |
[edit] The Game
The International Basketball Tournament is a shooting tournament, matching the best shooters from 40 countries against each other every May. Despite changes, there has always been a takeout shot; a set shot that contestants take after his opponent makes a basket. The winner of the tournament hosts the succeeding tournament the very next year. This is about all that has stayed consistent with the tournament, having changed besically everything about it over the course of eight years.
[edit] Changes in Gameplay and Format
1999: Takeout shot taken 17 feet away from the basket and two feet off center. The game was played to twenty points. All made baskets counted for two points. The ranking to the contestants was completely random, and byes were chosen at random as well. The tournament was played in double-elimination format.
2001: Takeout shot was moved to a slightly raised location 20 feet away from the basket and 8 feet off center. The shootout was introduced to rank the teams 1-40 based on how many shots each contestant made. The shootout was created to favor the contestants with higher rankings with shot advantage and bye priority.
2005: All shots crossing the line to the left of the takeout shot are considered dead and are to be taken at the point of where it exited the playing field.
2007: Shots crossing the 20 foot line to the right of the basket are now worth three points, and shots across the 30 foot line are now worth four points. Games are now to be played to forty points. The format has been changed to include four different regions of ten teams apiece, and will be played in bracket form similar to the NCAA basketball tournament.
| New World Region | European Region | Middle East Asia Region | Southern Hemisphere Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | England | China | Argentina |
| Canada | France | Egypt | Brazil |
| Cuba | Germany | India | Chile |
| Dominican Republic | Greece | Indonesia | Congo |
| Greenland | Ireland | Japan | Kenya |
| Haiti | Italy | Korea | Madagascar |
| Iceland | Portugal | Saudi Arabia | Morocco |
| Mexico | Romania | Russia | Peru |
| New Zealand | Spain | Thailand | South Africa |
| United States | Sweden | Turkey | Venezuela |
[edit] History
1999: The first International Basketball Tournament was played in the spring of 1999 in Paradise Palace in the Bahamas. The tournament ended when Mexico eliminated Cuba in the ninth round of the tournament, stamping an undefeated season for Mexico and giving them the rights to host the 2000 tournament.
2000: The second tournament took place at the Estadio de la Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico and was marked by the dominance of Canadian contestant Jake Green, who captured the tournament after eliminating Cuba in the ninth round. His effort in this tournament is still considered the most all-around dominating performance in tournament history.
2001: The third tournament, taking place at the Ottawa Fieldhouse in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada saw the introduction of the shootout and new takeout shot, but a familiar champion. China won the shooutout and took the top seed, but Mexico defeated Russia in the tenth and decisive round. This tournament also marked the first time a winner-take-all game was played.
2002: The fourth and, what is widely regarded as the best, tournament was played in the Estadio de la Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico. This tournament was marked by the feud between Jake Green of Canada and Hi-Jing Limkailassiri of Thailand leading up to the Winner's Bracket Finals. Green called Limkailassiri an amateur in an international press conference, causing widespread outrage throughout Thailand. Limkailassiri ended up beating Green in the game in one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Thailand ended up winning the tournament in the tenth round when they defeated Indonesia.
2003: The fifth tournament[1] took place at the Thai Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Facing a hostile crowd, Canada won the shootout and the tournament, defeating Sweden in the tenth round. This tournament was historic because it was the first time a contestant had ever won the shootout and the tournament in the same year, and it was the first time a contestant won the tournament after winning the Loser's Bracket. Canada had lost to Sweden in the Winner's Bracket Finals before beating them twice in the finals.
2004: The sixth tournament[2], at the Ottawa Fieldhouse in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada marked the beginning of the rivalry between Jake Green of Canada and Ari MacNeil of Ireland. Green defeated MacNeil in the third round of the tournament, but MacNeil eliminated Green from the tournament in the fifth round. MacNeil would go on to run the table in the Loser's Bracket, and upset the heavily favored Turkey in the finals, winning in the tenth round 20-18 in one of the most thrilling games in tournament history.
2005: The seventh tournament[3] took place at The Jackpot in Dublin, Ireland and featured a finals matchup which was billed The Clash of the Titans between Canada, who took advantage of an epic collapse by Peru in the Loser's Bracket Finals, and Ireland. Ari MacNeil won the tournament, defending his title, in the tenth round in a heart-stopping 20-18 finish.
2006: The eighth tournament[4], taking place for the second straight year at The Jackpot in Dublin, Ireland saw the early exit of the traditional champions and entered two new teams in the finals; China defeating upstart South Africa in the tenth round.
2007: The ninth tournament [5] took place at Red Dragon Stadium in Beijing, China and featured the region system and an NCAA tournament style bracket. Peru captured the Southern Hemisphere Region's first championship by defeating the Cinderella from the European Region, Greece. Greenland and defending champion China rounded out the final four by winning their respective regions.
[edit] International Basketball Tournament of Champions (IBTOC)
Following the 2004 IBT, the International Basketball Tournament of Champions was introduced. Taking place every January in the IBT's original site, Paradise Palace in the Bahamas, the IBTOC is a round-robin tournament which matches up all the contestants who have ever won the IBT. A gold, silver, and bronze medal is handed out to the first,second,and third place participants. In 2005[6] and 2006[7], the IBTOC consisted of Mexico, Canada, Thailand, and Ireland, and in 2007[8] China has been added to the field following their tournament victory in 2006. Peru participated in the 2008[9] IBTOC after their victory in 2007, but failed to medal. Canada has won three gold medals, Mexico has won one gold two silver medals, Thailand has two silvers and a bronze, Ireland has two bronze medals, and China has a bronze.
[edit] International Basketball Tournament Recap
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico vs
Cuba |
Canada vs
Cuba |
Mexico vs
Russia |
Thailand vs
Indonesia |
Canada vs
Sweden |
Ireland vs
Turkey |
Ireland vs
Canada |
China vs
South Africa |
Peru vs
Greece |
| The Bahamas | Mexico City,
Mexico |
Ottawa,
Canada |
Mexico City,
Mexico |
Bangkok,
Thailand |
Ottawa,
Canada |
Dublin,
Ireland |
Dublin,
Ireland |
Beijing,
China |
[edit] International Basketball Tournament of Champions Recap
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold: Canada
Silver: Mexico Bronze: Thailand |
Gold: Canada
Silver: Mexico Bronze: Ireland |
Gold: Canada
Silver: Thailand Bronze: China |
Gold: Mexico
Silver: Thailand Bronze: Ireland |
[edit] The American Basketball Tournament (ABT)
Following the 10th annual tournament to take place in Lima, Peru, the dimensions of the IBT will be declassified and countries will be free to host their own tournaments. The United States has already organized such a tournament to be played in September and October, starting in 2008. It will consist of a unique bracket style format with five regions consisting of the fifty states. More details are expected to be released soon.
