The 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers were international basketball competitions which took place from 3 to 8 August 2021, replacing the cancelled 2021 FIBA U18 European Championship.[1]
The 2020 edition of FIBA U18 European Championship was to be held in Konya, Turkey but was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the pandemic continued in 2021, the FIBA Europe decided to hold alternative format of competition to replace traditional format of U18 European Championship where 16 or more teams gather in one place.
The events are to be played on a voluntary participation basis, with promotion/relegation to be frozen across Divisions A, B and C.
The Top 18 ranked teams (16 currently in Division A, plus two additional teams by 2019 ranking in respective category) to play three tournaments of six teams each (Groups A, B and C).
All other registered teams, ranked 19 and lower, to play in tournaments of up to six teams each (Groups D/E).
One tournament of up to six teams to be created with the lowest-ranked teams to accommodate Division C and Small Countries (Groups F/G).
All tournaments to be played in Round Robin format, with groups to be created by "serpentine" style allocation, taking the hosting situation into consideration.