The eFIBA Season One has been launched by FIBA in conjunction with esports company ESL Faceit Group (EFG), and is being played on the video game based on the National Basketball Association (NBA) - the sport's premier men's professional league.

This follows on from three editions of the FIBA Esports Open held in 2020 and 2021.

Three regional qualifiers have been held to decide places in the seven upcoming regional finals.

These are set to begin on Tuesday (January 24) with Finals for Asia in the Middle East and South-East Asia regions and in Africa.

Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are due to play in the Middle East tournament, and the Philippines, Indonesia and Mongolia in the South-East Asia equivalent,

The eFIBA Finals Africa are set to feature Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Madagascar.

Finals in North and South America and Europe are scheduled for Wednesday (January 25).

The North America Finals are set to be contended by Barbados and Puerto Rico, with Argentina taking on Brazil in the South America Finals.

The Europe Finals are due to feature Turkey, Portugal, Spain and France.

A total of 30 National Federations entered eFIBA Season One, each requiring a minimum of five players.

FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said that the tournaments would "provide National Federations with the opportunity to compete against the best eBasketball national teams in the world, building on the momentum created from the FIBA Esports Open events in 2020 and 2021".

EFG President of sports games Roger Lodewick claimed that eFIBA Season One would "provide the community with bold and entertaining online and in person events".