The tournament offers athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to showcase their skills and give their best. “Unified partners” – players without intellectual disabilities – join the Special Olympics athletes on the court as teammates. The event demonstrates that inclusion in sport can be lived and visible at every level.
Thirteen teams competed, including three from Belgium, Italy, and Germany, two from Bulgaria, and two from Luxembourg: the Mighty Red Lions and the Grand Duchy Hoops Lions.
The finals took place on Saturday. Yet the tournament is about much more than competition. All athletes stay together in the youth hostel, reinforcing one of the core aims of the event: ensuring no one feels isolated or alone in their situation.
Jeanne van den Berg, Secretary General of Special Olympics Luxembourg, explained that this first international 3x3 tournament attracted teams who were eager to participate and quickly immersed in the spirit of the competition. She highlighted how the mixed teams create a new game dynamic, producing inventive combinations on court and, above all, displaying the pure joy with which the athletes play.
